Someone asked in a Facebook group I am in, "Is this really a day to celebrate?"
That can involve a multitude of answers but I wanted to share my thoughts:
For me it is a day to celebrate and recognize those of us who have lived with this a LONG time (diagnosed February 1988 and my boyfriend died of AIDS January 1991). In those days there was NO HOPE... NOTHING, only eventual death or for those of us that experienced near death from AIDS and 13 days in hospital, 5 days in ICU from a severe case pf PCP/pneumocystis carinii, the biggest killer of those with AIDS.
So for me it is a day of remembrance of those I loved who passed away but hope for the future after seeing how far we've come. It is no longer a death sentence and with PrEP there are even more chances to not transmit the virus AND if you have undetectable viral load, your chance of transmitting virus is virtually nonexistent. So those things alone are reasons for me to celebrate. But it is also a time to educate, encourage people to get tested and understand how it is and is not transmitted.
It is a day to remember those who lost the battle and uplift those to keep living and loving life because it is worth living!
