For three years, I carried a silent burden that no one could see — the pain of rejection, the loneliness, and the shame that clung to me every time I tried to love.
When I was 28, I went for a routine check-up and received news that turned my world upside down. I had tested positive for HIV.
I remember sitting in that clinic chair, staring blankly as the nurse spoke gently, but all I heard was silence. The fear, the stigma, the questions — it all came crashing down.
I blamed myself. I cried for nights. And even though I stayed healthy, took my medication, and lived responsibly, it was the judgment of others that crushed me the most.
Every time I opened up to someone I was interested in, the story ended the same — they left. Some were polite, others cruel. One even called me “damaged.” My heart slowly shut down. I began to believe I would never be loved again.READ FULL STORY.
I blamed myself. I cried for nights. And even though I stayed healthy, took my medication, and lived responsibly, it was the judgment of others that crushed me the most.
Every time I opened up to someone I was interested in, the story ended the same — they left. Some were polite, others cruel. One even called me “damaged.” My heart slowly shut down. I began to believe I would never be loved again.READ FULL STORY.