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[av_heading heading=’MY LIFE AS ART | The perfect posterboy: HIV testing, Part 2′ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PETER SOLIS NERY
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Monday, May 29, 2017
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IN A NUTSHELL, my HIV testing campaign is this: I don’t care if you are promiscuous, or not. I don’t care if you are HIV positive, or negative. I just want you to be tested regularly and routinely. I just want you to know your status.
HIV Poz people, I want you to seek early medical treatment. Because HIV is not a terminal disease. It is not a capital offense. It is not a death sentence.
There is hope. And the cure could already be at hand. Just delayed by bureaucracy. And the business of making money out of it.
***
Seriously, if you have found the cure, would you rush, and give it to the public now? How?
Would you give it for free to Africa, where the numbers of cases are highest?
Would you give it only to the rich in America? And those who can afford it in the Philippines? Wouldn’t that cause a civil war?
Wouldn’t you try to plan your move? Maybe think of a scheme to get some money out of your discovery? See, that can take time.
So, you keep your secret for a while, as you make your moneymaking scam… err, scheme. What can I say? Pharmaceuticals is a big business.
***
So again, Poz people, don’t despair. The cure is coming. People living with HIV have coped better in recent years than say in the 1980s, or 1990s. The treatments seem to be working.
If the treatments in the last ten years are working, wouldn’t you think they have perfected the cure by now?
If the cure is at hand, are you ready to receive it? Is your body ready to accept it?
I know some Poz people can be angry. And angry enough with God, with themselves, with other people, and the world to wantonly and irresponsibly just want to spread the disease. God, forgive the souls of these people who want to drag others down with them!
If you don’t believe in God, or if you feel abandoned by God because you got HIV or AIDS, at least, believe in Karma. Or in cosmic justice. Or in something that says, What evil you sow gets back to you… a thousand times more.
***
I want you to believe that the evil in your heart, the evil intent to spread the disease will get you punished in hell. Both in this life, and beyond.
In fact, I curse you to hell if you knowingly spread HIV and AIDS.
Because I am a posterboy for HIV testing, I can do that!
And because I believe in a loving God, even if you don’t, I am empowered to give such powerful curses.
***
And I also curse to hell, in this life and beyond, those who spread HIV unknowingly.
Say, you got HIV because you had sex with an infected stranger.
You didn’t get tested. And now, you are a walking carrier of the disease, too.
And you have wild sex with just everyone you meet. And you transmit the virus to them.
Sure, you didn’t know. But whose fault is it? Whose fault is it that you didn’t know?
Didn’t I tell you to get tested? Didn’t I make myself bear public ridicule and humiliation posing as the HIV testing poster boy? Just so I could get your attention? Just so you will understand that you need to get tested regularly and routinely?
***
Dear readers, I want you to believe that the goodness in your heart, the goodness to prevent the spread of infection will get you rewarded. Both in this life, and beyond. In fact, I bless you.
And Poz people, I bless you. And I pray for you to get well. And have a meaningful life even with HIV and AIDS.
Because I am a posterboy for HIV testing, I can do that.
And because I believe in a loving God, I am empowered to give such effective blessings.
***
This, I believe: Do good, and goodness will follow you.
Do something good to prevent the spread of any disease. And maybe, just maybe, you will be spared of such disease. At least, that’s my prayer for myself.
I know several HIV positive people who have become advocates and volunteers for HIV and AIDS awareness. I love these people!
I bless them, and pray that they don’t suffer the nasty part of the disease process.
I pray that they will be better, healthier. And ready, when the cure is finally shared to the public.
***
I am a shameless person. Especially in my HIV testing advocacy.
For me, there is just no room for timidity and bashfulness. Especially when what I am up against are HIV, AIDS, and public ignorance.
So yeah, I don’t mind getting naked to get attention for this cause.
If a naked picture of me forces you to read the caption, and encourages you to get tested, I wouldn’t mind circulating naked pictures of me.
That’s why I am a posterboy for HIV screening. That’s why I am perfect.
Of course, I realized most ignorant people would just think I’m promiscuous because I get tested all the time. Or I get naked all the time.
Here’s the thing: You don’t have to worry about my sex life. I get by.
You don’t have to pity me, if I go on not having sex for weeks sometimes. I’m not married anymore!
You don’t have to pity me either, for being with two different men in one week. Or being with a woman, occasionally. I’m not married anymore!
Seriously, you don’t have to worry about my sex life! Not at all!
***
When I was working as a nurse, I get tested for HIV once every year.
When my husband died, and I started having sex with strangers, I decided I wanted to get tested twice a year. Every six months.
When I decided to be the posterboy of HIV testing, I figured it would be nice to do it quarterly. Every three months.
I mean, if they would let me do it for free (and I mean hassle-free, too), I would go. And be tested every month!
But I go to this public clinic. And sometimes, I feel I am wasting government resources by getting tested very often. Even if I didn’t need to.
And goodness! The interviews and counseling that goes on in these public clinics! They’re the most tiresome part of the test for me. Along with the waiting in line.
So yeah, I can spend a whole morning to get the 20-minute oral swab test. I am tempted to say, I can “waste a whole morning,” but any HIV testing is never a waste for me! It’s my advocacy!
***
The HIV counselor asks me, “What’s the matter? You are back. Did you have any high risk behavior lately?”
I tell her, “I didn’t even have sex for the whole month!”
I tell her, “The month before that, I had sex. I used a condom. But I just want to be tested.”
I tell her, “I kissed a few good men. And I swear that’s all we did. But I can never be sure. I just want to be tested.”
I tell her, “I had mutual jack off with several boys. That’s all we did. I just want to be tested.”
I tell her, “I want to be tested. And I want that written result. Because I post that on my Facebook account. It’s part of my campaign for regular and routine HIV testing.”
I tell her, “I know you might think I’m overdoing this. But I would rather do more. Than do less. Or worse, do nothing.”
Yeah, people think the worse of me because I get tested often. They think I’m the most promiscuous sexy gay man in the world. It doesn’t bother me.
That’s why I am a posterboy for HIV testing. That’s why I’m perfect! (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
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