Just No...

I'm sick of reading & hearing that HIV is no longer a death sentence & people can go about their lives like nothing happened.    That isn't true.  Maybe, HIV doesn't lead to an immediate visit from the Grim Reaper like it did early on.  But, living with HIV is nothing like the life most people had before.

It isn't as easy as simply popping a pill & going out the door.  There's a lot that goes into maintaining a regimen.  Besides the meds, there are blood tests & continuous check ups.   It's not, oh your +, here's a pill, have a great life.

There's a lot of crap that comes with an HIV diagnosis.  There's the trauma of the diagnosis. Yes, I said trauma.  There may need to be counseling.  There will be emotional upheaval.  There might be a lot of stigma, shame & discrimination.  There's the ongoing, day in, day out of having a chronic illness.

That fails to mention the $.   Being + costs a fortune.  How are you going to pay for it?  There are other costs as well.  Besides the hit to your wallet & your physical well being, you could wind up paying in other ways as well.  I mentioned discrimination, but what about the people who just can't handle the idea of being around someone who's HIV+?   What about those people who'll feel the need to make your illness all about them?

HIV is hard.  HIV is tiring, trying & never ending. So, it might not drop you in 6 months like it used to, but once you're HIV +, your life will never be the same.   Stop telling people there's nothing to fear, nothing to be concerned about, because that's a outright lie.  HIV is still something to be fear & avoid.

Cya...