Blessed & Grateful

How has your HIV status affected your family members and friends?

I believe my being HIV positive has made most of my family and all of my friends more compassionate and understanding of people with HIV, or any major illness for that matter.

I also believe that a few of my family members once viewed HIV as being God's punishment for being gay and, while they may still hold this view to some degree, I believe they've come to be less severe in their perspective by seeing what I've overcome and what I'm doing to help others in their struggle with this disease. Minds, hearts and perspectives change over time; hopefully for the better.

While I certainly wouldn't consider HIV to be a blessing in disguise, the challenges that HIV has presented to medical researchers have led to great advancements in the treatment of cancer and other ailments that might not have been discovered otherwise. How one faces challenges, such as HIV, affects how people respond to that person and, over time, I believe extreme views can soften when the person is inspired by someone facing a dire situation with dignity, courage and faith. All of my friends and 90% of my family have consistently been quite supportive of me in my battle to stay healthy and strive for daily quality of life and, for that, I feel truly blessed and grateful.