"They had only seen reports in the media about HIV in third world countries."


My partner was the first person to know about my condition, and because we had been together for nearly nine years, he underwent a HIV test himself. That wait seemed endless, and we both wondered if we had infected each other. Worse still, if we were both HIV+, then who had infected who? His result came back HIV-.

My mother and father were next to know, followed by my brothers and sisters. I found myself having to be so strong and reassure them from my bedside that I was going to beat this illness, and despite the distorted media reports on HIV, it did not necessarily mean a death sentence for me.

They had only seen reports in the media about HIV in third world countries.

High profile HIV coverage in the media—with regards to gay men, drug addicts and haemophiliacs living in the UK—seemed to stop when the Princess of Wales died. Media coverage only showed the suffering and death of people with this illness overseas, and many did not understand that the condition could be controlled with a combination of antiretroviral drugs.

Kevin

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