"You've got to get to know the person at least a little bit and feel if it's worth it to tell them that you are HIV positive."
Damaries Cruz,
Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Diagnosed in 1991
"Just diagnosed? I would definitely say, first of all, take a deep breath. Don't freak out too much. There's a lot of information out there."
Jack Mackenroth,
New York City
Diagnosed in 1990
"The most crazy, outlandish myth I ever heard about HIV has to be that you can get HIV from sitting on a toilet seat."
Christopher Roby
Ridgeland, Miss.
My Brother's Keeper, Inc.
This easy-to-read guide is ideal for someone newly diagnosed. It's from TheBody.com and is only one of many basic booklets on HIV.
Browse this special report >>
See our other reports
Recently Diagnosed and Teetering on the Brink
(A recent post from the "I Just Tested Positive" board)
"I tested positive on Aug. 19. I'm sure that date will forever be burned into my memory. I remember the counselor closing the door, taking a deep breath and saying, 'Your result is positive.' Then I remember feeling like I was falling. I could barely hear the questions he was asking me, much less find a way to sift through the racing thoughts in my mind to coordinate responses. ...
"In spite of my efforts to stay positive (no pun intended) I have many moments when I feel like I'm barely holding on to reality. I go to work and am sometimes hardly able to focus on the task at hand. ... There are times when I want to burst into tears and scream until I pass out because I feel like I will forever be alone. I've tried spending more time with friends, but I fear being rejected if I told them I was positive. I tell myself that friends I'm keeping a secret from are better than no friends at all. ... The point of my post is to reach out to you all -- my new community -- to see if there is someone in a similar situation (newly diagnosed, scared, and teetering on the brink of insanity) I could talk to."
-- espoirnyc
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 Can you clarify for me when is the best time to start HIV medications -- and what my real prognosis is?
Joseph McGowan, M.D., F.A.C.P., responds
 CD4 count of 127: should I start HIV treatment now or take herbs and delay meds?
Mark Holodniy, M.D., F.A.C.P., C.I.C., responds
"If I knew I was infected, I'd try to start treatment the next day. But even if it was a week later, I would do that, because the evidence has really shifted ..."
Martin Delaney
San Francisco, Calif.
Founding Co-Director, Project Inform
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