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| (via The Stigma Project – click image to enlarge) |
In light of Charlie Sheen’s disclosure of his HIV status yesterday, I thought I’d post this to remind folks how to handle someone coming out as HIV+ to you.
Happy Hump Day!
HIV Disclosure Etiquette
Charlie Sheen On Hiding HIV Diagnosis: “I Release Myself From This Prison Today”
Charlie Sheen appeared on The Today Show to announce to the world he was diagnosed with HIV four years ago.
Sheen said he made the announcement to end a smear campaign and extortion efforts.
“I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that are about me, threatening the health of so many others that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.
Sheen said he’s trusted the diagnosis with people he thought he could confide in, but has paid out upwards of $10 million to keep the illness a secret.
“What people forget is that it’s money taken from my children,” he said about the “shakedowns” he has experienced. “I trusted them and they were deep in my inner circle, and I thought they could be helpful. My trust turned to their treason.”
He said appearing on TODAY will help put a stop to those payouts.
“That’s my goal. That’s not my only goal. I think I release myself from this prison today,” he said.
Sheen said he was diagnosed roughly four years ago but doesn’t know how he contracted the virus.
“It started with what I thought was a series of crushing headaches,” he said. “I thought I had a brain tumor. I thought it was over.”
He also insisted it was “impossible” that he knowingly transmitted the virus to others. While he admitted to having unprotected sex with two people since the diagnosis, both were informed ahead of time and have been under the care of his doctor.
UPDATED: Charlie Sheen Rumored To Announce He Is HIV+ On The Today Show
People.com is reporting that former Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen will appear on The Today Show tomorrow morning to share the news that he is HIV+.
People.com cites publicist Howard Bragman as the source of the news.
Bragman says he was informed that Sheen “is getting treatment, and a lot of people in his life know about it.”
“It’s been going on for quite awhile. He’s not necessarily comfortable talking about it. It was very hard to get up the courage for him to talk about it.”
“I’ve known about this a long time, it’s not a surprise to me,” says Bragman of the news (which was first reported by the National Enquirer). “I feel very sorry for his pain. And I hope it’s used as a teachable moment for the world. This is a disease that can affect anyone.”
The actor, 50, has long struggled with substance abuse and has admitted to soliciting prostitutes in the past.
TMZ has this update:
Our sources say Charlie has known for more than 2 years that he was HIV positive … and one source says he’s known way longer than that. We’re told Charlie was taking meds for the HIV and has had a series of blood tests, and over time, the virus has been “undetectable” in his system.
We’re told Charlie freely admits he’s had scores of sexual partners over the years, many of whom had intimate relations with him after his diagnosis. The implication here is clear … Charlie is saying he didn’t deceive anyone, since the blood tests did not reveal the presence of HIV.
Doctors beg to differ and say once someone has HIV they have it for life, at least until medicine advances.
Former “Who’s The Boss?” Star Danny Pintauro: I Contracted HIV Through Oral Sex
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| “Who’s The Boss?” star Danny Pintauro |
Last week, former Who’s The Boss? star Danny Pintauro shared with Oprah Winfrey that he has been HIV+ for twelve years.
Now, in an interview with US Weekly, Pintauro reveals that he contracted HIV via oral sex.
“Believe it or not, with this guy I was actually safe. We did use condoms,” Pintauro, who played Jonathan on Who’s the Boss? from 1984 to 1992, tells Us in his exclusive interview. “I got it another way, which was through oral sex. When you put all of these nasty things together, like a compromised immune system, having been up for a long time, drugs, rough sex, all of that combined with lesions in your mouth, bodily fluids, it’s that easy.”
During his same interview with Oprah, Pintauro revealed he was previously addicted to crystal meth. He contracted HIV around the same time he was struggling with substance abuse.
Although there are very few documented cases of contracting HIV through oral sex, according to the CDC it is possible: “The risk of HIV transmission through oral sex is much less than that from anal or vaginal sex — but it is not zero.”
Pintauro is currently on his “Beacon of Light” Tour whose message is to spread awareness about HIV and the dangers of crystal meth use
He is also participating in the HIV Equal Campaign, which aims to eliminate HIV stigma.
Gareth Thomas back on the field as coach at Gay Rugby Tournament
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| Retired rugby star Gareth Thomas at Berlin’s “Bash About” |
Retired rugby star Gareth Thomas was back on the field this past weekend as a guest coach for the Bash About tournament in Berlin.
Thomas was one of the first high-profile athletes to reveal he was gay when he came out in 2009.
From OUT:
As guest coach, Gareth trained with some of the 150 players from 20 different gay teams as part of an initiative to promote Sportsmen against Stigma. The goal is to push back on stigmas associated with and exclusion of HIV positive athletes.
“It can be a lonely existence as a gay guy or woman and rugby is a way of integrating people into a team environment, ultimately giving them friends and a social life,” Thomas told AFP. “When I heard the concept, I just wanted to get involved.”
“It’s not just about what happens on the pitch, it’s about the socialising after and making life-long friendships,” he continued. “That’s the whole package of rugby.”
