My Reason
December 2nd, 2007(safe for work version)
Original photo by Mechanic
December is AIDS Awareness Month, and today, December 1st, is World AIDS Awareness Day. To honor this, I’ve decided to do another charity drive to raise money for support and research of HIV/AIDS-related issues. Once again, I’ve set up a series of rewards for meeting our goals, which you can view on the donation page. Once you’ve made your donation, forward it to your friends and encourage them to contribute as well.
I know it’s not a sexy topic, but it’s one that is very important to me. Throughout the month of December, I’ll be posting AIDS/HIV-related links, personal stories, and thoughts from friends, fellow bloggers, and readers, starting with my own below. If you’d like to share your thoughts or experiences with AIDS/HIV, please email them to me, and I’ll share them with my readers. I know there are many causes out there that are close to many of our hearts, but I’m asking for this one month that we all focus our hearts and our wallets on this one.
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How would your life change if you tested positive for HIV?
This is something I think about a lot. Despite the precautions I take, my lifestyle puts me at a greater risk than similarly health-conscious monogamous people. And that lifestyle could change dramatically if I were infected by the virus. But my fears are not as much about the changes to my lifestyle as they are about how those changes could make me lose the person I have become. It took me years to become the person I am today and, in many ways, my life revolves around my sexuality. Sex doesn’t play directly into everything I do, of course, but it remains an important part of who I am at all times. So, deep down, my true fear of contracting this life threatening illness is not my health. My fear is that no one will ever have sex with me again. I know, it sounds trivial, doesn’t it? Shallow, even? But in losing my sex life, I fear that I would lose my sexuality and, with it, myself. Then what would be left? Who would I become? Can I be happy in a life that isn’t filled with the joys of sexuality? It’s possible, but I hope I never have to find out.
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Whatever your reasons, please donate to help fight this deadly virus, and to support the millions of people already infected.
