Ten years ago I discovered that I have HIV. My family and my friends know, but I’ve never publicly “come out”. This year I was thinking that a post about World AIDS Day is empty without context. Most of my gay and gay-friendly friends are acquainted with someone living with HIV. Treatment in countries with good healthcare is excellent. We have access to drugs that make the virus undetectable in our blood and scientists know it is impossible for us to transmit HIV to another. There is a pill available to HIV- people to ensure that they don’t get infected if they should have sex with someone who doesn’t know they’re infected. In our parts of the world you can live with, and around, HIV in ways that are no more traumatic or dangerous than living with ahstma or diabetes. But that isn’t the case for everyone. For people living in poverty, or under authoritarian regimes, or with religions that don’t encourage the use of barrier contraception, or access to broad and contemporary healthcare, HIV means AIDS, and AIDS means death. This is what you can do to help: buy a red ribbon and wear it with pride. Wear it today, and all year long. Educate yourself. Many of you won’t know someone living with HIV (although you do now! 😀) so what you think you know is probably information that is really out of date. Teach your kids about the truth of HIV and AIDS. Give money to charities whose goal is to raise awareness amongst the public, sex workers and intravenous drug users living in situations with less privilege than US. HIV is no longer a death sentence. There’s a link in my bio, above. Lastly it’s easy for fortunate people like me to be glib about living with HIV. Young people won’t remember that there was a global holocaust that decimated millions of men, women and children in every country, wiped out whole generations. If you’re interested you should follow @theaidsmemorial here on Insta. It’s a touching and important memorial to those people who lost their lives to HIV and AIDS. And please don’t feel sympathy for me. I’m fine. I’m not brave. I just do my thing. It’s easy for me. It’s not easy for millions of others. They need your help. #worldaidsday https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq0RDf0FhjR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1d36hl9tlz40q