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My name is Marcus Muhammad, and for the last 31 years, I have been living with and battling a virus called HIV. To be clear, I was diagnosed as HIV positive at birth.

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Navigating life with a health condition as heavily stigmatised as HIV presents significant challenges and can lead to profound feelings of isolation. This stigma can severely impact the emotional well-being of people living with HIV.

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In a world where so many fight to end stigma and advocate for HIV prevention, there are unsung heroes who deserve recognition.

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My name is Marcus Muhammad, and for the last 31 years, I have been living with and battling a virus called HIV. To be clear, I was diagnosed as HIV positive at birth.

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Opening up about your HIV status can be a profoundly empowering act. In this video, HIV advocate Thando Cindi shares her experience growing up with the virus and being advised by her family to keep her status to herself.

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When I think about the impact that living with HIV has had on me, I’m often brought to the early days of my diagnosis.

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At 19, I was diagnosed with HIV while studying law as an international student in London. My family lives in Dubai, UAE, and I discovered I was positive during a summer visit home after my first year of university.

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In thirty-four states here in America, simply living with HIV can land you with a criminal record and, in some of those thirty-four states, can get you a place on the sex offender registry.