I hope this topic reaches some you very well. I know that it can be a very challenging thing to talk about, but as a people we gotta confront the fact that this disease is still very prevalent and in the Black, Gay, Male community it’s still vastly out of control. HIV is something that has been around now for more than 30 years. And while there has been amazing advancement on treatment and possible cures, the facts still remain that far too many people are getting diagnosed with this illness and far too many are dying still from it.

Truth be told, we know that the medicine isn’t cheap, although there are programs that help with paying for the cost of your medicine. We know that the care for someone with the virus can be expensive. But it is also very meticulous. We must learn that in order to stamp out this virus we must do a few things: one, be cognizant of who we’re sleeping with; two, we must be comfortable with having the conversation before we lay down in bed; three, we must protect ourselves until we’ve gotten a clean bill of health together from the clinic; four, we must be ok with saying no.

I understand that it’s very easy to give in to our hormones and want to fuck some tight ass or pussy. I understand that our urges for good dick may make us a little quick to slide in the bed with someone who looks good and is packing a big wood, but maybe we need to think about the consequences of that action more before we just open us and say yes. We have to realize that we are only making life harder for us as a people when we neglect to ask the questions and when we fail to tell our sex partner, lover, or spouse that we are living with this illness.

Trust me from having folks close to me who deal with this stigma daily, I understand that it’s not always easy to admit your truth and walk in your own light, but that’s when you have to realize that the red ribbon doesn’t define who you are. I think that part of the problem is that so many folks walk around today with the thought that somehow if people know that you live with this virus, it makes you less than the person who doesn’t.

There have been some amazing people who lived with this virus and who are still living with the virus that aren’t letting the past and current stigma’s keep them having a successful life. They aren’t allowing the ribbon to dictate what they do, rather they’re letting the ribbon simply act as a compliment to their lives. You see I think that the person who embraces their illness and makes it their mission to live healthy and take care of themselves can be a role model to the world, not just those like them affected by the illness.

The red ribbon doesn’t mean that you can’t live life and enjoy it. It doesn’t mean that can’t have sex any way that you want. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have a family and be a role model to anyone who needs one. The ribbon just means you have even more character and experience. The ribbon means that you can speak to something that others can’t. Having the ribbon means that you have a chance to show the world what grace and style is.

The ribbon should not in any way define your life. You still are always in control of it. You still, ultimately, determine how long you remain on this planet after the ribbon is attached to you. If you want a long prosperous life, then act like it and live in spite of the ribbon. Millions have died and millions continue to be diagnosed, but millions also continue to live and thrive. So to close this out I ask you to do the same things that I talked about earlier in this post. One, ask the questions; two, get tested together; three, protect yourself and four, be ok with saying no.

I would love to talk to you and hear what you think.