Personal Stories

Fighting Mississippi’s HIV epidemic is about more than just getting people living with HIV or at risk for HIV on a pill. It means confronting the reality that for many in the state, their primary care doctor is the emergency room.

While black and Latinx gay and bisexual men and transgender women make up a larger portion of HIV cases in and around Boston, the opioid crisis has led to spiking HIV rates among injection drug users.

The HIV epidemic in Philadelphia is heavily concentrated in its black population. Local caregivers at BEBASHI have seen diagnosis rates drop in recent years, though there’s still progress to be made.

Living with HIV for the past 16 years and being over the age of 50, Charles Sanchez is showing signs of aging, but no sign of slowing down.

'Still at Risk' is about long-term survivors, but it's for younger gay men too.

"HIV for African-American women has never been a single issue, separate from histories of addiction, trauma and poverty," Thurka Sangaramoorthy writes.

"Many of our seniors are sexually active and vulnerable to the same circumstances of the lack of information and support as the younger and more visible members of the community," Earl Fowlkes writes.

A conversation with Jeff Taylor, longtime HIV community and research advocate and cancer survivor.

During a session on HIV and healthy aging at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, one woman spoke passionately about the need for increased visibility of older people living with HIV.

"The challenges of HIV and aging still represent an enormous gift and paradox," Edward Jackson writes. "This gift defines my commitment to this life-giving, life-changing vision to the reduce stigma, provide education, and end HIV in our lives."