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I live in paradise, the place people dream of, spend thousands of dollars to visit, and about which they often say, "I could stay here forever."
I came to the Virgin Islands 20 years ago when I first found out I was HIV-positive. Living in New York City, there were always posters of the white sand beaches, turquoise oceans, and palm trees -- so I took my savings and planned a trip. Visiting a Caribbean island pictured on one of those posters was on my list of things to do before I left the planet. At that time, there was no effective treatment for HIV and you were simply expected to die.
Read the full op-ed at HIV Plus Magazine.
