"The last thing one would want on their birthday is to be told they are HIV positive."

Unfortunately, this is what happened to me. All I can remember from that day is thinking just how many more birthdays will I have. Everything seemed so mechanical, listening to my doctor explaining this was not a death sentence yet people were still dying of AIDS back then. It was hard to believe this was not a death sentence, but the more I became informed about treatments and survival rates the more accepting of my condition I became.

Who do I tell? How do I hide it? How do I continue living with HIV? These were all standard questions I asked myself and found them hard to answer. Having HIV and trying to live a normal life can be very difficult. Going on 18 more birthdays is a testament that it becomes easier and easier everyday. I’ve been blessed to find others living with HIV, welcoming them into my life and learning from their life experiences. I don’t have a death sentence. I have a liveable condition, I am HIV Positive and still living my full life.