I'm writing this letter because I feel compelled to do so. I'm 21 years old and live in Milan. I study at Bocconi University. I'm a cheerful girl and appear to be a "normal" girl. But there is a but, I am HIV positive, and I found out a few months after I turned 18. I've been receiving treatment at Sacco for about three years. It's an excellent facility with competent staff. My parents aren't aware of my situation. I wish, perhaps unrealistically, that the state, regions, provinces, and municipalities would take this pandemic seriously. We should talk about this disease much more often, perhaps not so much to students, who are informed through sex education sessions held at school, but rather to parents, adults, and people over 30.
Two Milanese people get infected every day, and these aren't 16-year-old kids, but fathers, who cheat on their wives and infect them, and who ruin the lives of their families. I don't think I'm exaggerating in calling this disease a pandemic; I truly can't understand why this information isn't being disseminated nationwide. Each sick person like me costs the health system €1,500 a month just for medication, not counting monthly visits and various check-ups. I don't like the idea of burdening others, but If there had been more information or sexual re-education, I probably would not have had unprotected sex with my boyfriend of 4 years., if men stopped cheating on their wives and girlfriends, I wouldn't be here now HIV patient, and it wouldn't be so difficult for me to find a reason to live many times.
At 21, it's hard to tell someone your age that you're sick. You fear ignorance, alienation... In short, I'm 21 and I'm sick. I really wish people would become aware and understand that AIDS isn't that far from each of us. I wish no one had to go through what I go through every day. I wish someone would finally find a cure, and if that's not possible, I would at least like people not to look at me badly for my illness, because I'm not a drug addict, a loose woman, or a sexually ambiguous person, I'm a girl normal who was with the same guy for 4 years, who never cheated on him, on the contrary.
I think it's wrong and immoral for our society to be bombarded with promotional messages that are driven solely by profit. I think it's unacceptable in our society in 2010 that vital information, such as that about HIV, isn't disseminated at the same level, if not more, than commercial media. I hope the media can find space for such information and for socially oriented publicity, as the next HIV case could be your child, your husband or even your wife.. Each of us can make a difference! I'm trying, but I'm only a 21-year-old student. Perhaps you, who control the media and information, can do much more than I can!
Signed letter
January 5, 2010
