My stepbrother is gay at first I was happy because I wasn't the only one in the family who was but after he told me he was, he told me he was HIV+. And that hit me hard because I always looked up to him and now he has HIV. Now he has to come out to our parents and I definitely am going to be there for him through this I just don't know how I'm going to handle this emotionally. Im still in shock. So is he and he's been super stressed any advice on how to handle this?
Just be there for support and help. All you can do is e there for him. Let him know he will always have you.
Wow. That has to be really rough for him and your family. Have you come out to him yet? It wasn't clear in your post, but if you haven't I would say that can be your first step if you want it to. That way you don't have to worry about him finding out and then you only have to worry about supporting him. I don't really know much about HIV and how to handle it, but, depending on where you live, there should be a support group for him and for family members. Really sorry your family is going through this. Just be there for him and let him know how much you support him. That by itself can be all the support he needs.
Hi, and welcome to EC! First, I'm sorry for what you and your brother is going through. It's difficult but it really isn't as bad as it would have been years ago. These days, if HIV is handled early, and if the person takes care of himself, it is pretty controllable. There are still expensive drugs, nausea, various other side effects, and some pretty significant restrictions on what one can do if one wants to remain healthy (generally drinking and drugs are out, as they interact with the HIV meds) but one can live a pretty normal life compared to years ago. You don't say what part of AZ you're in, but there are some very good public resources for HIV treatment and counseling in most of the bigger cities there, and I'd suggest that your brother (and possibly you) look into those. I do think it's a wise idea for him to tell your parents as soon as possible, in case he does have health issues that come up; it will be a lot easier for them to find out about it and deal with it *before* having to do so suddenly if he has some health issues. And, just as a reminder: HIV is 100% preventable. While that option isn't open for him, it still is for you, so please keep that in mind as you become sexually active. Most of the people who carry the virus will not look sick, and, sadly, many who are HIV+ will lie about it, so there's no way to tell, even by asking. The alternative is to always play safe, and that's the best choice to make to ensure that you stay healthy.
