10. Disclose Your HIV Status
Although opening up about your HIV status to others isn’t always easy, disclosure is one of the simplest ways to support other people living with HIV. For one thing, being honest about being HIV positive helps defeat stigma and damaging myths about people living with the virus. It also helps weed out people from your life who may discriminate against you or hurt you because of your status.
If you’re about to hook up with someone, also know that in many states, it is illegal not to disclose your status before an intimate exchange (see the above “Know Your Rights” section for more information). Disclosure helps protect you and other HIV-positive people from these damaging laws.
On the flip side of being a pro-disclosure advocate, also honor other HIV-positive peoples’ privacy by not sharing their status without their permission. To be a good advocate, you also have to be an ally to other people living with HIV. Whether you’re HIV positive or you’re HIV negative, we’re all in this together.
Click here to learn more about disclosure and tips on how best to open up to someone about your HIV status.
