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| HIV activist Robbie Lawlor: “I urge everyone to get tested for HIV.” Photograph: Conor Gallagher |
Robbie Lawlor finds that HIV is medically manageable but far less so socially
I have been living with HIV a little over four years
now. To say I was surprised when I got my diagnosis is an
understatement; I didn’t even know HIV existed in Ireland.
I genuinely couldn’t understand how a 21 year old who
was fresh out of college and on his way to Australia was getting this
diagnosis. I knew no one living with HIV in Ireland. I didn’t even know
the difference between HIV and Aids.
Four years later I’m on my fourth type of medication.
Currently I take just one pill a day but I have high hopes for the
future. And a new trial shows a long-acting injectable antiretroviral,
given once every four or eight weeks, does the job just as well as that
one pill. The trial shows the injectable is safe and very well
tolerated.
Medically speaking, HIV is one of the most manageable
chronic conditions out there. Socially speaking, HIV is a different
ballgame.
I do believe the majority of stigma is born out of
ignorance. I have heard, “Oh you’re Robbie, the one with Aids.” I can’t
be angry at them; they were just like me four years ago. I have had the
privilege of telling my HIV story to over 1,500 young people and I know
this for certain: education is the best vaccination we have against
stigma. We must fight for comprehensive and compulsory sexual health
education in Ireland.
I urge everyone to get tested for HIV. I was sexually
active 3½ years before getting a test and it had affected my immune
system. Once you know your status you can begin to manage HIV and
continue living your best life.
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