DadsCumDump

For myself personally, asking the question "do you like being poz", is like asking "do you like having brown eyes" or "do you like being gay". I'm not saying I was born poz - I wasn't - I'm saying that it's a part of me & not something I can change, so I don't see much point in spending time & energy thinking about something that, at this point, I have no control over & no hope of changing. Having been poz for 16 years now, being poz has had a significant influence on some of the major life choices I have made & I wouldn't be the person I am today if I wasn't poz. In a way, the real question being asked of poz participants is, "are you happy?". I am basically happy in my life, at least happy enough that I wouldn't want to give up the life & happiness I have today on the possibility that I "might" have a better life if I was neg. If this question was being asked by a person considering intentionally contracting HIV, I would advise they not seek out HIV infection. The meds are much better today & getting better every day, but they are still a pain & extremely expensive. Some of the meds that were given fast-track approval at the height of the AIDS crisis turned out to have some nasty & permanent side effects. I took Zerit (D4T) for a few years before it was discovered that long term use caused lipodystrophy (loss of fat, especially on the face, & uneven distribution of the remaining body fat, often resulting in developing a hump on one's back) & nerve damage. My doctor took me off the drug, but it was already too late, so I have to get synthetic collagen injections in my fact ever 1-2 years, & the neuropathy in my feet & legs sometimes makes it necessary to use a cane (at one time I was in a wheelchair because even the lightest touch on my feet felt like they were being pounded with hammers). Some of the meds still in use cause high cholesterol, resulting in my having a series of heart attacks & needing angioplasty surgery at the age of 49. And there is still a lot of fear, ignorance & prejudice. In some states you can be sentenced to prison based solely on the accusation by an ex that you didn't disclose your HIV status even if you used a condom. There are advantages - no longer going through the stress of taking an HIV test every year, being able to have bareback sex when fucking with other poz guys, and so forth. But it's also cost me some good boyfriends because they were neg & couldn't get over the fear that they might get infected. Yes, there are a lot of disadvantages to being poz, but we all face adversity in out lives regardless of our HIV status. I'm not moping around saying "poor thing me", but it's not something I would actively seek out.