Case Study | Sean

By 8th grade I knew I liked men and wasn’t interested in women. My first boyfriend was a kid I met at camp. We spent every minute together and made sure that we shared a tent. We were together through most of high school, but his family moved away and we lost contact. I went to the University to study business administration because my dad wanted me to take over the ranch when he retired. I came out to my family after my sophomore year in college. I think they already knew, but my dad was a little freaked out. He wasn’t sure how the information would be received by his friends, business accociates and other people in the community. He aksed that I not flaunt my being gay out of respect for him and my family. After college, I moved back to my small hometown and helped my dad out on the ranch. It’s hard to meet people in my hometown, so I go out of state once a month to meet other men. About two months ago I started to feel crappy. I couldn’t seem to shake it. I felt like I had a little bit of the flu and was tired all the time. A month ago, I heard that a community organization in a nearby town was offering rapid HIV testing. I took the test and I tested positive. They took a blood sample just to confirm. Two weeks later, it was confirmed – I was HIV positive. I know I got it sexually because I have never injected drugs or been exposed to a blood spill. I don’t know who gave it to me. I meet with a case manager this week. I don’t know what to expect.

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