Can Living with HIV Propel You to Do Great Things? | Living y Ready

Being diagnosed with HIV will change your life, that’s a given—but it’s not all bad. Having HIV can actually be a blessing in disguise. In the final episode of Living y Ready, Director of Health and Wellness Anthony Susarrey brings together common themes from each episode this season and walks us through three reasons how HIV can change your life for the better.

Mental health awareness and positivity

Overcoming HIV stigma will make you mentally unstoppable. An HIV diagnosis is going to change the way you see yourself and the way others see you, too—especially when you’re being intimate. Like Ryan Wooten and Jose Magaña talk about on previous episodes, practice positivity every day becomes part of the lifestyle.

“Sadly, there’s still a lot of stigma when HIV comes up in conversations with family members, friends, and especially with lovers,” Susarrey says. “So, it’s important to have a positive outlook on life, laugh a little, laugh a lot, to know your worthiness so strongly that no other person can rock that boat.”

We all know people who are always negative, consistently complain about the things they lack, and play the victim to their circumstances—even when they have wonderful lives. Making positivity a habit, for those who are HIV-positive, is a necessary to combat the mental health side effects that come with having the condition.

And for HIV-negative folks, positivity is something to incorporate into life, too!

Physical health routines and practices

Having a medical condition like HIV, you’re often more aware of your body. For many, after the initial shock, the diagnosis leads to being physically healthier overall.

Felix Perez shares how having HIV means regular check-ups to the doctor. Blood tests, too. In this way, he’s being checked for all possible health concerns more frequently: heart disease, blood pressure, the list goes on.

“You get used to getting your blood drawn,” Susarrey adds. “Say goodbye to your fear of needles.”

Being a regular at the doctor means knowing where you’re at health-wise—which is good practice for everyone!

Greater purposes and careers

Your HIV diagnosis can fuel your larger purpose.

Fabian Quezada was addicted to drugs and battling homelessness. But, his entire life, he had to be resilient. His HIV diagnosis was no different. So he picked himself up. He discovered a passion for hairdressing, after his diagnosis, and his entire life was turned around.

The same is true for Daniel Garza, who was diagnosed with HIV at a time he was still searching for purpose. It was his HIV-positive diagnosis that got him a spot on the news, that got him booked as a speaker at events. He’s turned his status into his dream career.

Living with HIV has been a foundation part of Anthony Susarrey’s career, too.

“When you look within yourself, when you make peace with who you are, all the opportunities start to come your way,” Susarrey says.

Don’t miss the last episode of Living y Ready! Check it out on the LATV+ app!