I am very selective about who I choose to disclose my status. Many people are not knowledgeable and stigma/discrimination remains a challenge. All of my life, I have been treated as an outsider. My HIV status would only highlight this observation to many people who are close to me. I have told family members who are no longer available and I regret ever disclosing. I am very aware that much discrimination remains. It is made more complex by the fact that people are deceptive in their response when they offer support but soon vanish from your life. I would rather avoid the scenes/scenarios of rejection, loss of family and loss of friendship. It is not an easy journey. I refuse to carry the weight of an additional sorrow. I realize that this is not a popular or affirmative response but it is my path. It is my reality.

That was a blatent Hippa violation and you should have reported the entire clinic.

www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html

Thanks for the warm thoughts. Glad to be a part of any team, but really, the healing has already taken place. I've (hopefully) worked through my issues around stigma, and very rarely do I even think about it. My current person I'm dating in negative, and when I told him, he just said something like "oh that's no big deal, I'm educated". Times are changing for the better!

My boyfriend of 17 years left me, I lost my job and sure, my friends sympathize, but they've all fallen out of my life. My niece won't let me around her children.