Andre
Shedding the Stigma of HIV
February 13, 2000, is forever etched in Andre’s memory as the day he was diagnosed with HIV. The day began like any of the other days Andre had given plasma – except this time he wasn’t called back to the donation area but was instead called in to speak to a doctor.
Although he knew treatment options had improved since the early days of the AIDS epidemic, he was still scared. Scared of dying, scared of what people would think, and, most of all, scared about having to face it alone.
The hardest part of the diagnosis was finding out alone, crying alone, and feeling like he had no one to confide in or who could tell him it was going to be okay. After his diagnosis, he retreated, sinking further and further into isolation.
For years he hid his status from his family. It was only after Andre started attending support groups with others living with HIV that he began to feel more comfortable talking about it, first within the group and then eventually with his family. It has taken a long time, but Andre now feels at peace.
“Don’t be ashamed of it,” he said. “People aren’t ashamed if they have cancer, so don’t be ashamed if you are living with HIV. I’m still the same person I was before.”
When asked what he would say to his younger self in February 2000, Andre teared up thinking back to that lonely, fear-filled day. Finally, he replied, “it’s gonna be all right, it’s gonna be all right.”
