Having lived with HIV for 20 years and witnessing the ongoing increase in the number of newly diagnosed infections of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) I felt compelled to offer a way to inform, answer questions, quell misinformation and break stereotypes and stigma as they relate to living with HIV and AIDS. The greatest motivation for me however was hearing people say they believed new medications and pills make HIV easy to live with or worse yet, that there is a “cure”; terrifying!

What prompted me to try this avenue of communication was the reality that many people still do not know the most simple and important facts regarding HIV transmission and prevention. Many are afraid or unsure of where to go and get this information and many will not go to an AIDS Service organization or their own doctors for a number of personal reasons. I often find myself providing this information to my friends and peers casually when out at the bar, social events, dinners, on the phone or as the result of a “passer by’s” question, as many are aware of my openness to talking about being HIV positive. Of course being given the opportunity to utilize GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine as a venue was also a great motivator.

Since recovering from a near fatal infection 12 years ago I have devoted much of my spare time to volunteering with AIDS Calgary Awareness Association educating in our school systems from elementary to University levels, providing peer based support through the Calgary based HIV Peer Support Group, advocating Nationally for better treatment access for Canadians with the Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC), working locally with the Calgary Coalition on HIV/AIDS (CCHA) and Provincially with the Alberta Community Council on HIV/AIDS (ACCH) to improve the services, supports and information needed for our community to better understand people living with HIV and AIDS and prevent further HIV infections.

It is my hope readers will find this a useful way to ask questions, find answers or connect with health care and social supports agencies available and ready to assist them. To inform Albertan’s living with or affected by HIV and AIDS on ways to connect with peer based supports and information on managing the roller coaster ride that is HIV from the perspective and experiences of someone living it.

Please take some time to think about what you would ask someone living with HIV or AIDS if you had the chance, and send it to the E-mail address m.randall@gaycalgary.com.

I look forward to your comments and ideas on what this type of column could offer to our community.