The April 18, 2013 issue of the Bay Area Reporter contained a rare first-person article by freelance reporter Ed Walsh on his experience living with HIV. Walsh, who found out he was HIV-positive two years earlier, wrote about finding support after his diagnosis and his fears as he started drug regimens and went to countless doctor appointments. He stated that while it was "extremely difficult" for him to write the article, he was doing so for several reasons: to help fight stigma, to encourage people to get tested, and to support and encourage cure research. Today, Walsh is still a contributor to the B.A.R., in addition to his job at KGO-TV. And, while HIV case counts continue to decline in San Francisco, there are still just over 200 a year. Stigma also remains a big issue as the city and many others work on Getting to Zero efforts to dramatically reduce the number of HIV cases.
To read the issue, click here.
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