Fear and Stigma is More Death Defying: ‘This is what it’s really like to live with HIV’

The world seems shocked after the Two and a Half Men actor Charlie Sheen openly admitted that he is infected with HIV. The question is however, should the HIV positive individuals be avoided?

As per Web Md these pole shouldn't isolate them since one could not acquire the virus just by being around the victims. HIV cannot spread through sweat, tears, touch, or even saliva. The medical website even added that HIV isn't equivalent to death, it not the end for the victims. HIV positive individuals can still live a normal productive lives, and some of them even live longer then healthy adult.

Telegraph was able to talk to HIV positive individuals that shed a light regarding their experience. They also stated that being avoided and feared is worse than experiencing the disease itself.

Cristian Sandulescu, 28

'HIV isn't a death sentence. It's a punctuation mark in the long sentence that is life'

Christian then added that:

"I wish this was reported a bit more, rather than stories like 'HIV monster goes around and infects hundreds of people', which breed fear and always turn out to be untrue anyway. There's still so much to be done on the ignorance and stigma side. The last thing many people will have heard about this was the campaign in 1989 [which featured tombstones and the slogan, 'Don't Die of Ignorance']. So it's no wonder they don't know about the changes that are happening every year.

The 29 year old Tom Hayes who is the founder of 'Beyon Positive' website also added that 'The fear and stigma was much worse than the medical reality'.

Hayes then added that the impression that HIV victims should be avoided hurts them more than the virus itself does.

"Ninety per cent of the problems I have had over the years have come from other people's attitudes rather than the medical side. Finding a dentist has been difficult, even though I'm undetectable and they're legally obliged to provide a service. One of them asked if I could come to the last appointment of the day.