Inspiring Stories of People Affected by HIV/AIDS

"I think that everyone should know I'm HIV positive because I think that someone needs to be out there saying, 'Look, I'm HIV positive. I have a full-time job. I volunteer as an EMT. I have a healthy, normal sex life with an HIV-negative partner who is younger than me and very hot.' I mean, I'm fine with being the poster child." Click here to read Jimmy Mack's story.

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"At first I thought I'd never have children. Then I was able to have a child because of medication, but I was also educating my community that it's OK to have a baby while you're HIV positive. A lot of them thought I was irresponsible for having a child. Every time I lost a bit of weight or got a little bit sick, instantly they'd think that the funeral was going to be happening, so they'd start preparing for it." Click here to read Marama Pala's story.

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"I look at the pills and think, 'Yeah, these pills -- this fistful of pills -- are what's keeping me alive [laughter].' It's hard to describe. It was hard watching my mom die of the disease that I had, that I knew I had. I knew I could end up like her. It's hard having that realization at such a young age." Click here to read Alora Gale's story.

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Being 30 was a big milestone, 40 was a huge one, and now 50 ... I never even thought, three or four years ago, I was going to be 50," says Nelson Vergel. "It was a big miracle for me, which I was able to enjoy with my friends." Click here to read Nelson Vergel's story.

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"It's been very tough having Paula sick and having a baby. It's hard to rest when you have a baby. ... Stuff really frazzles me now. ... It's a combination of the sickness, taking care of Benjamin, and then having to deal with Paula's parents. It makes it rough. Dealing with these things sort of diverts me from what I should be concerned about, which is Paula's health." Click here to read Paula Peterson and Griff Butler's story.

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"When I was diagnosed [over 20 years ago], my wife was with me when the doctor told me, and at that time it was most assuredly a death sentence ... I was very young ... and having been told that you have a fatal illness, you don't ever forget that." Click here to read Alexandra Billings' story.

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