Living with HIV
“Even though it felt like that for the first few years, basically nothing has changed in my life,” says Troy. “At first I felt like a walking STD. I thought no one liked me anymore and that I would never be in a relationship again. But looking back, the only thing that has changed is that I am even more driven to achieve my goals.”
When do you tell a date or partner that you are HIV positive? “At the hospital they told me that basically I don’t have to tell because it’s undetectable (you cannot then transfer HIV, ed.). But when I really trust someone, I’ll tell. The advantage is that most gay men know how it works. Fortunately, the people I confided in responded very sweetly and positively.”
sorry
Troy does not regret the choices he has made. “If I could have done something else, I would have skipped the dark part of the gay scene. That is a place where there is a lot of drugs, which can lead to unprotected sex. Young gay men are lured there and seen as a kind of trophy.” When asked if he is angry with his ex, who gave him HIV, he answers: “Yes and no. He didn’t know either. On the other hand, I was only 21 and he was 30. But he didn’t knock me down. And neither is HIV.”
