"I vividly remember the day I was diagnosed HIV positive. For months, I had been having trouble breathing, didn't feel like eating and was extremely tired. The doctor thought I might have pneumonia, but she asked me to take an HIV test. When the test results came back, my heart sank. Turning away from the doctor who had just delivered the news, I was stunned by the gorgeous day outside. She told me I would have to take medication for the rest of my life, but I could still live a happy, normal life."
"I had not gone on a date since I was diagnosed, but I was finally ready to get back out there and give love a try. I didn't know where to start, so I created a profile on Tinder, which I knew was very popular. As I filled out various fields, I was nervous, wondering how I'd be perceived. Then I came to check boxes for race, religion and HIV status ― Wait, I had to check a box for that?"
I received an HIV-positive diagnosis after months of breathing trouble, fatigue and loss of appetite. Medical staff advised lifelong medication but also reassured that a happy, normal life remained possible. Early fear centered on whether anyone would love me. Within a year I became HIV undetectable and felt healthier than ever, thinking of my status only briefly each day when taking medication. Creating a dating profile reawakened shame when faced with an HIV-status checkbox and memories of a nurse warning that nondisclosure could be criminal, prompting feelings of being labeled a sick criminal.
Read at BuzzFeed
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