Rufo's story

They told me I was positive when I was 27. I was very into parties, having lots of unprotected sex. I use to go out all the time taking loads of drugs… just having a good time.

How do you think you contracted HIV?

It might have been from having sex or it might have been from taking drugs. When I was 20 I experimented with heroin for a small period of time, so I could have contracted it then.

How much did you know about HIV when you were diagnosed?

I didn’t really know anything about it. I just knew people were dying; they were dropping like flies because there was no medication at that time.

What was the attitude to HIV in 88?

I didn’t want anyone to know I had HIV. In those days people were not educated enough about this disease, they thought if someone kissed you or touched you then they could contract the illness. So I kept it to myself.

And the virus nearly killed you?

I was in and out of the hospital for about a year. I caught TB (tuberculosis) and it spread to all my organs; I was almost dead. But I was very, very lucky. They put me on a medical trial along with eight other people in England. At first the doctor didn’t want to put me on it because he didn’t think I was going to survive. It was the triple combination that they use today,

Why do you think people still today prefer to remain ignorant about HIV?

Because they are afraid.

As well as HIV, you are also living with Hep C?

Yes – I think I caught Hep C through sharing needles in 81/82, but I didn’t notice anything for years. Hep C is an illness that is very silent, you don’t notice any change in your body. I was told at the same time I was diagnosed with HIV that I had Hep C. But in 1988 there was no medication available for Hep C so I lived a long time without treating it. After living all those years with Hep C I got cirrhosis of the liver but about 4 years ago I underwent the treatment called Interferon and I cured my Hepatitis C.

What was the treatment like?

The year and a half that I was on the treatment was very intense. You feel like you are always in a bad mood, always stressed. I was put on antidepressants.

How do you deal with the consequences of Hep C physically and emotionally?

Physically I do all right, I don’t get tired or anything. Emotionally Hep C worries me because it has the potential to kill me. I don’t think I will have any problems with HIV in the future because the medication keeps it under control, but the cirrhosis could kill me. At the moment everything is fine and my liver is working normally but I think maybe in the future I will need a liver transplant.