How old were you at the start of the AIDS epidemic?
I was 17 when AIDS epidemic started.
How did you first learn about HIV?
I lived in San Salvador when I 1st learned about HIV I was really scared.
What does the 25th year of riding to end AIDS mean to you personally?
25 years riding for fight HIV means I get to celebrate the life of a good friend I lost when I was new to the US. This friend died within days of finding out he had AIDS. I cried like a kid for him and he basically asked me not to cry as he has accepted his fate. Ever since then, I promised I would get involved in the fight for HIV and to break the stigma at work, my family and friends .
What effect has the AIDS epidemic had on you or someone you know?
I have lived with HIV since 2002 and this experience has made me a strong fighter and I will bring this message to all… no more silence. I have been discriminated against for being positive by people friends and co workers, I work in the medical field and a co worker claimed I should not be touching patients. My answer to this was there are a lot of medical professionals who happen to be HIV positive and they are some of the most compassionate human beings I have ever come across.
What would the end of the AIDS epidemic mean to you?
Ending the AIDS epidemic means that I would live to see the end of this terrible illness that has taken many beautiful people gay straight and all size and shapes. This illness does not discriminate. I will fulfill my mission in this planet by seeing this illness come to an end.