Thread by @TayePolitics

Story Time: How I Contract #HIV
*Trigger Language Warnings*

It was a night in January 2007 and I was home on leave from the Navy after graduating from Boot Camp. Took 12 days of leave to visit family before reporting to my first duty station in Mississippi. (1)

So the 2 night prior to leaving I met this guy online, he was 30 and I was 18. He invited me over to his place to have sex; so I stopped & picked up condoms before arriving. Once I get there we talked before moving to the next thing. (2)

Everything was going okay and protection is being used. What happens next is when my life was changed. He whispers in my ear that he wants to take the condom off because it will feel better. I tell him "No thank you, I'm not interested in doing that." (3)

I decide that I'm going to leave because I'm no longer comfortable with doing this. As I'm putting back on my clothes; he comes from behind, grabs me and force me down to the ground and force himself inside of me. This was probably the longest 3-5 minutes in my life. (4)

Once he was done I grabbed my stuff and got away as quickly as I could. When I got back to my mom's house I went straight to the bathroom, got in the shower and then just laid in the bed wondering what had just happen to me. I was still in shock, I guess. I tell no one. (5)

I finally arrived to my duty station in MS, start making friends and learning what my job will be on the ship. Live for me seems to be going great for me. Around February 2, 2007, my shipmates & I decided to have a potluck dinner after work in the barracks. Things were great. (6)

The next morning, I woke up with chills, body pains, loss of taste and couldn't walk. I ended up being late for work, it was my supervisor that came to my room and noticed that I wasn't doing well. Once we got to the ship, I was directed to go to medical and be seen. (7)

Medical took my temperature and it came back over 100 degrees. Because it was February, we thought I was just the flu, they gave me a flu pack and a few days off work to rest. Nope that didn't help, temp was still high, could barely walk or keep food down. Lasted 2 weeks. (8)

Durning the 2 weeks I had multiple test ran on me and they all came back, inconclusive or negative. I finally get better, now fast forward to April 25th 2007. I walk into medical because I notice my lymph nodes are swollen in my neck. I ask Doc, what are these lumps? (9)

After that visit, I requested a full STI panel since I had been sexually active. After the blood was drawn, I spent the next week stressed and crying because of what I saw online about HIV. I had convinced myself I had it without the confirmation. (10)

May 2, 2007, 7 days before turning 19. My Commanding Officer, Medical Officer, and Division Officer called a meeting with me. It was about my STI panel. Everything came back negative, except for HIV. With a smile on my face I told them Thank you and asked for next steps. (11)

The sickness I experienced in February now made sense to me. I was in #seroconversion - the process of HIV developing in the body. (12)

Til this day I have not let HIV stop me. I made a promise with myself to always stare my HIV status with anyone that I have a sexual encounter with. I do that not because its the right thing, but because they deserve the right to choose. A choice that I didn't get. (13)

The guy never told me his status. I found out it was him because I wasn't his only victim. When asked why he did it, he said because the person never told him. But I'm here today health and #Undetectable. #WorldAIDSDay2020 #EndHIVEpidemic #KnowYourStatus (14)

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