Life with HIV: Long-term survivors share their experiences

Over three decades ago, receiving an HIV diagnosis was akin to being handed a death sentence. Many endured discrimination, devastating personal losses, and gruelling drug side effects. However, advances in treatment have enabled millions of individuals to live with this virus. To mark the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the virus responsible for AIDS, four long-term survivors shared their experiences with the disease.

Paul Kidd, a 59-year-old activist and lawyer living north of Melbourne, Australia, was diagnosed with HIV in 1991 but had likely been infected for several years. His doctor had argued against testing in 1986 due to the lack of available treatments and rampant stigmatization of HIV patients at the time, including calls for their quarantine and criminalization. Kidd’s own diagnosis was not surprising, as he had previously lost an ex-partner to AIDS. Kidd credits…