Do we care about these people that are HIV-positive whose lives have been ruined? Those are the people I'm the most concerned about. Every night I think about this.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Those who are trying to remain healthy with HIV/AIDS are in the most vulnerable period of their lives; that's no time to leave them without access to care.
They don't actually see the real world, where 95% of the people with HIV are not treated and are dying. And even though we have some blue sky now in our country, the sky could become cloudy again very soon.
AIDS occupies such a large part in our awareness because of what it has been taken to represent. It seems the very model of all the catastrophes privileged populations feel await them.
The important thing is this Just because I'm doing well doesn't mean that they're going to do well if they get HIV. A lot of people have died since I have announced. This disease is not going anywhere.
It's important not to lose sight of the fact people of all sorts are still putting themselves at risk. It happens to straight and gay, single and married. I have never been comfortable thinking of AIDS as something that 'other people' get.
When there's a terrible illness like AIDS sweeping through, you help people.
People with HIV are still stigmatized. The infection rates are going up. People are dying. The political response is appalling. The sadness of it, the waste.
People are so involved with immediate care, but at the same time there needs to be investment in educating people as adolescents when they're still HIV negative.
I think we all realize that anyone can - and has - gotten AIDS. So there's obviously still a lot to be done.
HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it.