By Theo Smart When the dashing and magnificently bearded Dr. Giovanni Guaraldi took to the stage at last fall’s HIV and Aging conference in New York City, and described a nearly 100-year-old person living with HIV, I was more than a bit skeptical. Not of the researcher—he’s done some of the most brilliant research on

| How drag queens are becoming the heroes of HIV prevention By Desiree Guerrero My love affair with drag queens goes way back. Since my childhood in the suburbs of East L.A. (an area noticeably lacking in glitz and glamour), I have been fascinated with these magical creatures. My first glimpses of queens were on

|That Has to Change By Tyunique Nelson As a young person who identifies as nonbinary, meaning I do not identify within the gender binary, accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was a challenging quest. PrEP is a once-daily pill regimen that supports people in remaining HIV negative. Although I have been an organizer and advocate in support

By Michael Lamb The day the universe decided it wanted to see sugar, spice and everything nice, it was June 10, 1991 – the day I was born. Even as a child, I was always talkative and quite the jokester. Winning “Loudest,” “Class Clown,” and “Most Likely to Work for The New York Times” my

It’s been another tumultuous year, but at least in 2018 we started talking about HIV again By Desirée Guerrero Let’s face it, it’s been a rough one. More senseless shootings, more #MeToo controversies, more attacks on trans and immigrant rights – and more budget cuts affecting those living with HIV. As 2018 drew to a close,

| Why people living and aging with HIV will lead the way By Jeff Berry Long-term survivors of HIV face unique challenges – they are the “hidden” survivors of the epidemic. When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1989, I wasn’t sure I’d be here in 2018 to talk about it. At the time there

When it comes to HIV disclosure, it’s time to stop involving the police By Kenyon Farrow When I see films or documentaries about the early days of the AIDS epidemic that focus on the lives and relationships of gay men, I see a lot of people taking care of one another. In many cases, one

  Almost a quarter-century after his passing, Pedro Zamora continues to inspire future generations and help in the fight against HIV By Desirée Guerrero I recently had the honor of attending a private fundraiser for the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship, a program of the National AIDS Memorial Grove (NAM). And I say “honor” for

Understanding the importance of basic HIV research and clinical trials – and the benefits of being undetectable By Oriol R. Gutierrez Jr. Carl W. Dieffenbach, PhD, is director of the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He oversees

By Desirée Guerrero How writing about people living with HIV inspired profound change in my own life About a year and a half ago, I was in a dark place. After a painful separation from the love of my life, I felt not only completely broken inside but also scared as hell. And I needed