“Not sure how I was infected. I was sexually active, but also worked for years as a paramedic around blood, etc. In 2007 I had been in hospital after having a second bout of shingles and then bilateral Bells Palsy. Doctors knew I was gay and worked as a paramedic. I consented to be tested for HIV and they ran a multitude of tests. After 3 days I was discharged and told all blood work was normal, but they never did the HIV test, unbeknownst to me. I went back to work, finished law school thinking I had dodged a bullet. Fast forward to late 2009 & early 2010 when I got my law license and was working as a law clerk writing judicial opinions and I started having severe memory problems, and having difficulty walking. I was back and forth to hospital and they were mistakenly diagnosing me with Multiple Sclerosis among other things. I had some lab values way off and FINALLY was sent to a hematologist and he said it looked like I had advanced HIV. He ordered the test and it came back positive with a CD4 of just 9 in late January.
I have been taking Atripla once a day since I was diagnosed. Undetectable since 2011 with CD4 in 400s.
Sadly, due to my condition, I have been estranged from my family. I was erratic because HIV attacked my brain. So that has been the biggest change. I think my family could not deal with how it affected me when I got really sick.
I think PrEP gives me more comfort knowing that combined with me being undetectable, it is virtually impossible that I infect anyone. I am out to all partners about my status, but I prefer fellow undetectable men or guys on PrEP taking care of themselves.”
Kam, undetectable, New York City. Actor, former paramedic and law clerk.