I am struggling MAJORILY. After 5 years of blogging and speaking about my status to journalists, being on television, speaking to large groups I never imagined that I would struggle with disclosure. Let me explain. In Atlanta I have a very small but VERY close group of friends. They are very supportive and always there when I get sick. That being said a large percentage of them were gay. I only have two straight friends from all my time in Atlanta. It's not that I am opposed to them...the opportunity just never arose for me to interact or meet them really. However, now I am in Chicago, all of that has changed. I have a few gay friends and more straight friends. I met them through a part time job I got as a photographer. None of them have EVER given me any reason to feel "threatned" or frightened by telling them but one just never knows.
I started thinking about this issue about 6 weeks ago when a fellow photographer was working and a big photoboard tipped over and hit him in the head. He suffered a pretty nasty cut and was taken to the hospital. I was no where near the location of the accident but there was blood all over everything. I know that HIV doesn't live outside of the body for more than 15 seconds, but do they? In the past for instance whenever I have been at my Moms house and something happens where I am bleeding I of course am the one that freaks out (she stays calm) and will not allow anyone near me until I get the bleeding under control. My concern is if this of course happens while I am working I don't really have the luxury of secluding myself quickly. So do I tell my co-workers/friends that I am HIV positive? It's not like people would be jumping up and down in my blood and if I remember my OSHA correctly all accidents involving blood are treated the same way. There isn't any extra gear if it's the blood of someone who is positive.
Grrrrr this is sooooooo frustrating for me. After all of these years I never imagined that I would find myself struggling with disclosure! I will think on this further and will blog what I decide to do and how it goes.
Happy belated 4th! Hope everyone had a great holiday.
James
