Andrew Pulsipher of Phoenix was born HIV-positive 33 years ago — his parents both had the virus and died of AIDS related illness when Andrew was a child.
And while many would write off his dreams of starting a family, Andrew knew he was still capable of living the life he wanted, on his terms.
Here’s the photo he shared recently that quickly went viral, in which he poses with his HIV-negative family:
Andrew says he wanted to share his story to help battle the stigma that HIV is guaranteed to ruin your life.
How about we take this to the next level?
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He wrote on Facebook:
I am sharing this with you because for the first time I can be completely honest with myself and others. This has taken me a very long time to be comfortable with (almost 34 years!). I know HIV has a negative stigma, but that it doesn’t have to and I want to help change that. It is a treatable disease and you can live a normal life with it. I am proof of that. I want to educate people so that we can get past the “HOW you got the disease” to “HOW you are living your life with it”? There are many miracles in the world and I believe my life is one of them. I am not the only one and we all have stories to tell. If you feel drawn to share my story, please do. I would love to be part of the change in how we talk about HIV.
Here’s some of the gratitude he received:
Watch more here:
h/t: Buzzfeed
Fvk847
This is amazing! Love this and is a huge issue today so bravo!
charlie_jackpot
This is great, however he will always have an easier ride than those who contracted the virus through ‘risky’ behaviour
Mathew V Toussaint
See you don’t have to be gay!!!
Rey G Molina
Very proud of anyone who’s fighting against the stigma!
Clark35
@charlie_jackpot: True, or people who were infected with HIV and who did or or do not have access to the meds and take them regularly.
Corey G. Spence
How can she not have HIV when he has impregnated her?
Felix Tse
m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7306782
TrueWords
“If you’re undetectable, there’s only a one percent chance of giving it to your spouse, at least for a man and a woman,” he told HuffPost. “I only take three pills, once a day. That’s it. It used to be a lot worse. Back in the day I used to take four pills, three times a day, but it’s gotten to the point where doctors can make medicine way more effective. Of course, there are different combinations of drugs — every HIV-positive person has a different combination of drugs.”
Jaden Birns
Isn’t hiv transmissible via semen?
Joseph Murillo
That is wonderful!
Clark35
@TrueWords: It’s low; but not 1% and people who are “undetectable” and on meds infect HIV neg people all the time.
Chris Mommaerts
How sad
Random
@Clark35: Can you cite a source to support your comment that ‘…people who are “undetectable” and on meds infect HIV neg people all the time.’?
The latest results from the PARTNER study show that transmission by someone who’s undetectable is very low indeed.
”Statistical analysis shows that the maximum likely chance of transmission via anal sex from someone on successful HIV treatment was 1% a year for any anal sex and 4% for anal sex with ejaculation where the HIV-negative partner was receptive; but the true likelihood is probably much nearer to zero than this.
*When asked what the study tells us about the chance of someone with an undetectable viral load transmitting HIV, presenter Alison Rodger said: “Our best estimate is it’s zero.*”
TrueWords
Study: 30,000 Sex Acts Between HIV-Mixed Partners Result in Zero New Infections
A large-scale study that has documented more than 30,000 sex acts between HIV mixed, or serodiscordant, gay and straight couples has detected zero transmissions of the HIV virus.
All of the HIV-positive partners are on life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and have suppressed viral loads of less than 200 copies per milliliter of blood. Levels are called “undetectable” when they fall below 50 copies per milliliter. All of the HIV-positive study participants had been on ART for at least five years. About 90 percent had healthy CD4 T-cell counts.
Alison Rodger of University College London presented interim data from the study, which involved “serodifferent” couples who reported having condomless sex and not using PrEP or PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), and in which the HIV-positive partner was on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART).
http://www.aidsmap.com/No-one-with-an-undetectable-viral-load-gay-or-heterosexual-transmits-HIV-in-first-two-years-of-PARTNER-study/page/2832748/
Mikah
So happy for him.A strong and admirable man fighting against the HIV stigma that does nothing but promote more harmful ignorance.
Clark35
@TrueWords: Infection happens. If the meds were really that effective you would not have large numbers of HIV neg gay men who bareback still getting infected with HIV despite having sex with poz guys who are on meds, and the meds do nothing to help prevent two or more people who are already HIV+ from getting infected with a new strain of HIV, infecting someone else with a new strain, or getting re-infected with the strain they have. The woman and man in this story had their kids via IVF and his sperm was washed of the virus.
Realitycheck
@Jaden Birns:
>>sn’t hiv transmissible via semen?
If one takes medications, in few months the virus is virtually gone from semen and the only risk of infection is from direct blood to blood contact, example i cut myself and so does some one else and we willingly rub our bleeding cuts together.
bystander
@Clark35:
if you care to do 10 sec of research on google you’d find he only had his first child through ivf. The next two were “natural.” Most if not all new infections come from people who don’t know they have hiv or are not on treatment. Effective treatment is effective prevention. Maybe not absolutely perfect, but safe enough for this family.
Saskia Vreedenburgh Brink
So happy for all of them may you all stay happy and healthy
TrueWords
@Clark35: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT90D0GKZRM
TrueWords
@bystander: Clark and many other enjoy their ignorance just like those members of the GOP…it is what they rest their past, present and future on…
To all of those men like Clark65
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT90D0GKZRM
Clark35
@TrueWords: Is that supposed to be insulting or something? You’re barely even trying. What I wrote about people who are HIV+ but undetectable infecting people is true even if you want to deny it. Are you one of those silly Truvada wh0res who thinks that he can bareback with anyone and his PrEP will protect him?
TrueWords
@Clark35: my father taught me that you can never insult a fool because they just would not get it…
Rob Moore
@Clark35: He probably can if he chooses. The success rate of PrEP is quite high, much higher than the push to cut off foreskins.
Maybe, it’s because I was infected, twenty-two years ago, but I am dismayed at the level of ignorance not just amongst straight people but gay people. It is not that hard to find out the information. Go to a reputable source, but learn about HIV.