When the HBO series True Blood debuted last year, I was hooked. I’m eagerly awaiting the beginning of the second season in June (below is a preview).

As a reminder, here are my posts so far exploring vampires as kindred spirits to those of us living with HIV/AIDS:

Virtuous Vampires
“Vampires fascinate me. I developed a taste for them after I was diagnosed with HIV in 1992. What we had in common--the fear that people had of our blood--coaxed my curiosity.”

Who Ordered the Hamburger with AIDS?

“The best moment was put in by short order cook Lafayette, who is by far the coolest gay character currently on television. He doesn’t take crap from anyone. Lafayette isn’t a vampire and he doesn’t have HIV/AIDS. However, he is openly gay in rural Louisiana. So, it’s no surprise when a bunch of drunk hooligans send back a hamburger deluxe because they said ’it has AIDS’ according to the waitress. It’s also no surprise how Lafayette responds.”

Are You Being Safe?
"After seeing Twilight this weekend, I realized that abstinence can be sexy ... It was a pleasant surprise to witness a mother ask her daughter about safer sex in a movie with abstinence as a theme."

An Open Letter to Robert Pattinson
"Dear Robert: I loved your performance in Twilight as the vampire Edward Cullen. I’m not a teenage girl, but I do admit to swooning whenever you were on screen. I can only imagine how hard it must be for you as the heartthrob of the moment. Nonetheless, I do wish you had consulted with me before uttering the word ’AIDS’ in the way you did recently."

Watch a sneak peek from season two of True Blood: