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A List of Famous People with HIV

By Health, ThinkingNo Comments

There aren’t a lot of famous people who’ve been open about their HIV status. This is not surprising given the historic stigma associated with HIV. In the 1980s there was a real lack of information about HIV/AIDS, this led to myths and a lot of fear. There were also no treatments. This was a public information broadcast back in 1986, and it really shows how little we knew about HIV/AIDS and what a diagnosis meant (death):

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But there are some brave people who have been open about being HIV positive.

Freddie-Mercury-HIV-positive

Freddie Mercry [Deceased], Singer. Image from & Copyright © People.com.

 1. Freddie Mercury
Perhaps the most famous person to be open about their HIV positive diagnosis was the legendary Freddie Mercury. He opened up about his HIV positive diagnosis the day before his death.

What is fascinating about Freddie Mercury is that he has been remembered for the way he lived, not the way he died. He is remembered for his work: writing songs, singing them and fabulous performances.

If I could have tea with anyone from any time, living or dead it would probably be Freddie Mercury. As a fellow creative soul (albetit not in the same field) I’d love to know where he got his inspiration. How he came up with his ideas. How he managed to find the magic melodies and be ahead of his time, yet timeless at the same time. Freddie Mercury gave very few interviews, so I guess I’ll never know the answers to these questions.

Gareth-Thomas-HIV-positive

Gareth Thomas, Retired Professional Rugby Player. Image from & Copyright © Wikipedia.

 2. Gareth Thomas
Gareth Thomas is a Retired Professional Rugby Player from Wales, UK.

Gareth Thomas disclosed his HIV status as being positive, yet also being undetectable and untransmittable earlier this year. His HIV status really shows how far treatment for HIV has come. Once a death sentence, it is now a treatable condition. Many people who are HIV positive can now have the same life span as those who are HIV negative.

Prior to this Gareth Thomas is the first major sportsman to come out as gay in Rugby, which he did so in 2009. Rugby is a very masculine sport, so he should be commended for being honest and open about his sexuality.

Andrew-Bell-HIV-positive

Andrew Bell, Singer. Image from and Copyright © The Info NG.

 3. Andrew Bell
Andrew Bell is the lead singer in the band Erasure. In 2004 he disclosed his HIV positive status to the public.

Since Andrew Bell’s disclosure he has been involved with a number of charities raising funds for HIV research and projects. This includes work with National AIDS Trust (NAT).

Charlie-Sheen-HIV-positive

Charlie Sheen, Actor. Image from and Copyright © GQ.

 4. Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen is an Actor with a checkered past. His past according to several sources includes violence, alcohol and substance misuse and being very sexually promiscuous. It is the latter of these behaviours that probably led to Charlie Sheen being diagnosed as HIV positive.

In 2015 Charlie Sheen disclosed his HIV status in an interview. In the same interview he reported that he had spent approximately $10 million to keep extortionists quiet about his HIV status.

Christopher-Smith-HIV-positive

Christopher Smith, Retired Politician. Image from and Copyright © The Info NG.

 5. Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith is a Retired Politician in the UK. I didn’t know that he even existed before doing research for this blog post. He is one of the unsung heroes in the LGBT community.

Christopher Smith was the first gay male Politician to come out, coming out as gay in 1984. He has severed in several Governments and has undoubtedly influenced people’s views about people who are LGBT. He has probably supported legislation for LGBT rights and promoted a more inclusive and equal culture.

I am aware that there are no women on this list. I couldn’t find a single famous female who has been open about their HIV positive diagnosis. If you know one, please leave a comment below and let me know.

A HIV positive diagnosis used to be like a death sentence, but today it isn’t. Treatments for HIV positive have never been better and have led to people with HIV being found to be undetectable and untransmitable. Want to know more about HIV? Learn more here.

Write soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Friday 6 December 2019

25 Popular Sayings and What They Really Mean

By The Web, ThinkingNo Comments

I love a good saying. In fact, I’ve made up a few of my own. My made up ones include:

  • What’s it made out of, Gold? – Meaning that something was really expensive to buy.
  • What a liberty! (I know Catherine Tate’s Nan character says this, but I was saying it before the TV show.) – Meaning how rude.
  • I can’t believe you’d even think that, let alone say it. – Mock shock at someone’s comment.

But most people, myself included, use well known popular sayings. Here are 25 popular saying with what they really mean:

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Something is easy or very easy to do.

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What you do carries more weight than what you say you’ll do.

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Talks a lot, usually aggressively, but lacks the influence or power to do anything. Or doesn’t follow through with what they say they’re going to do.

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Another day of work, another day earning pay. Usually said when people are fed up of going to work or are more generally tired.

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My mum says this one a lot to me. It means that you are loved and that you bring happiness or joy into someone’s life.

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I use this phrase whenever a woman flirts with me. But its more common use is to say that someone is trying the wrong approach or solution to a problem.

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This saying warns of the dangers of asking too many questions or investigating something in too much detail.

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Means get to the point.

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Whatever you’re waiting for happen probably wont. At least in the opinion of the person who says the phrase.

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He’s got a bad attitude.

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Lacks sensitivity. Is clumsy in words or actions. I always think of the Tasmanian devil swirling around in a glassware shop when I think of or say this phrase.

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This comes from the Bible in tale of the Good Samaritan. Basically means that he’s kind and compassionate.

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Stop. Wait. Get more information before you proceed.

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Means that you don’t want to tell them information that will disappoint them and make them less happy. There is a recognition in this saying that they will have to be told, just that you don’t want to be the one to do it. There’s a similar saying that means the same: I don’t want to rain/piss on their parade.

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I’m really happy about something.

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It was very expensive.

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It’s raining heavily outside.

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I’ve had some sex.

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There’s no point to feeling upset about something that has happened and can’t be changed.

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This actually comes from the film Jerry Maguire. Here’s the clip:

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People use it when they want evidence that something is worth the asking price.

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Having a decision to make with two equally bad choices.

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Those that are early risers see opportunities first and therefore have the biggest chance of success.

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Something that everyone in the room knows, but it is considered impolite to mention or talk about. I personally thrive on highlighting the elephant in the room using humour to defuse any tension.

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You can advise someone to do something, but you cannot make them do it.

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Someone old can’t learn something new. Someone stuck in a routine can’t have it changed. I disagree with the sentiment and meaning of this phrase. People can change their lives and anything in their lives at any time.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Sunday 1 December 2019

World AIDS Day (2019) – This Year’s Theme: Communities That Make A Difference

By HealthNo Comments

Today is World AIDS Day. The theme this year is communities that make the difference. With this in mind, here is a short video explaining how communities make a difference to people living with HIV and/or AIDS:

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Blog soon,

Antony

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Sunday 1 December 2019

World Diabetes Day 2019: The Lowdown on Type 1 Diabetes

By HealthNo Comments

Today is World Diabetes Day. People often struggle to understand diabetes and particularly type 1 diabetes which isn’t linked to diet, weight, a lack of exercise or age. So here’s a video from Diabetes UK that explains type 1 diabetes simply:

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Here are some facts and statistics:

Quick facts about type 1 diabetes

  • Approximately 400,000 people are currently living with type 1 diabetes in the UK, with over 29,000 of them children.
  • Incidence is increasing by about four per cent each year, particularly in children under five, with a five percent increase each year in this age group over the last 20 years.
  • Type 1 diabetes affects 96 per cent of all children with diabetes in England and Wales.
  • Around 85 per cent of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes have no family history of the condition.
  • Although it used to be referred to as ‘juvenile diabetes’, around half of newly diagnosed cases are in people over the age of 18.
  • The UK has one of the highest rates of type 1 diabetes in the world, for reasons that are currently unknown.
  • A person with type 1 diabetes will have around 65,000 injections and measure their blood glucose over 80,000 times in their lifetime.

From: JDRF UK, last accessed: 11th November 2019.

Diabetes is a chronic long term health condition that requires a lot of management. For example I:

  • Inject insulin 4 or 5 times everyday.
  • Check and record my blood sugars before meals and two hours after meals.
  • Check and record my blood sugars before and after driving.
  • Finger pricking to read my blood sugars 8-15 times per day, prior to my Freestyle Libre (more on this below).
  • Count the carbs in each meal.
  • Have retinopathy screening, podiatry checks, annual reviews (with both my GP & Endocrine Consultant), see Diabetes Specialist Nurses and see Dietitians. You can only begin to imagine the number of health appointments I have in a year.

Having diabetes can be frustrating at times, as any little thing can affect the amount of glucose in my blood. Things that affect my blood sugar include: physical or mental illness, diet, exercise, the weather, even the amount and quality of sleep I’ve had.

Management and treatments have mostly stayed the same since I was diagnosed with diabetes. It often feels like I am trying to minimise the damage that diabetes causes to my body until better treatments are developed or until a cure is researched and widely available.

The biggest change to diabetes treatment in the last few years is the Freestyle Libre sensor for blood glucose readings. This my Consultant has described as revolutionary and I have to agree with her to a point. This means no finger pricking (unless unwell), but it is only half a job. Next diabetics need a pump that works with the Freestyle sensor to administer the right amounts of insulin automatically.

What’s your experience of type 1 diabetes? Leave a comment below.

Blog soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Thursday 14 November 2019
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