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One of my good friends from law school is HIV+. It was not something that anyone talked about, but most of the people who were friends with him figured it out. He had to take a substantial amount of time off of school throughout the years, but my law school's deans were super supportive of him and so was the student body.
He practices law at one of the best civil rights firms in LA and is doing well. He is an inspiration to many of us b/c he lives each day to its fullest, is super active and healthy and very positive.
My parents had a friend who was one of the first people to be diagnosed with HIV in the mid-eighties. He watched his partner die of AIDS and lived an extra five years. He didn't have the benefits of the medications they have today but he lived for quite a while HIV+ before developing AIDS.
Like DUKE BLUE, I also took the Biology of AIDS in college. It was one of the most informative classes I've ever taken and really taught me a lot about myself and other people. We had to do community service that was HIV/AIDS related as a component of the class. One of the community service activities I did involved going to a hospice and reading to the patients. It was one of the most moving things I have done in my life. So many people with HIV and AIDS are shunned by their families and friends when they need them the most. It's really devestating.
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