“I’m Scared I have HIV”: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Be

The best way to combat fear is knowledge. When you arm yourself with the facts, there’s nothing or no one that can shake you. Therefore, we took it upon ourselves to answer one of the most searched keywords around HIV —You guessed it: “I’m scared I have HIV symptoms.”

So, if you don’t know anything about HIV, LATV is premiering Living Y Ready, an exclusive series here to help you get informed and educated around the topic. “Living y Ready” means living ready for all the changes, experiences and challenges that come with life after seroconversion.

Let’s start by having one of our experts answer that particular question.

What to do if you’re scared you have HIV symptoms?

“For anyone that feels that they might have HIV Symptoms, they should really talk to a professional. To an infectious disease doctor or even partner with the local community organization to find out if they are really HIV symptoms. A lot of them are very similar to STIs,” says José Ramos, president and founder of Impulse Group, a volunteer global movement for gay men to prevent HIV and also dealing with Mental Health issues.

“I hear a lot of people googling “I have a rash, an ulcer” and they automatically go to HIV. Most of the time is not HIV, most of the time is syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or something else. So What I tell people is don’t assume that you have symptoms, don’t assume right away it’s HIV and go see a doctor and have them tell you what it is and then you can go from there,” José ads.

Among other question around fear of living with HIV, we came across: What about someone who is undocumented and it’s scared to use public or government entities?

“If you’re newly diagnosed and you are undocumented, the best thing I can tell you is: seek help. I know it’s scary, but with the medical system, no one can come to you because of your medical status. Your health is private. They cannot use that information against you. I know a lot of undocumented individuals have a fear of deportation and I’ll tell you, legally it cannot happen.

In the state of California, including my company AHF we help a lot of undocumented individuals. There are a lot of programs for undocumented to be treated for HIV and AIDS.

The shortcoming for undocumented is prep, which is medication to prevent HIV. It’s not easily accessible if you’re undocumented because at the point, it’s considered as a luxury, as a prevention, it’s not needed.

Seek help. Legally, they cannot deport you!

Whatever the question is around being scared, please have in mind that there is hope for people being diagnosed with HIV and we’re here for you. In this new short form series produced by LATV’s LGBTQ+ creator community, we’re reframing the narrative around HIV through informative segments, candid conversations and queer expression. Check back with us daily for more Living Y Ready.