Very Positive Thinking: 100 Excellent Advices for a Healthy life with HIV in the 21st Century

INTRODUCTION

I will start with an accurate disclosure. I do not carry the HIV virus.

To be completely honest, I have never had sex without a condom (yes, never).

And further on this subject, in all the 40 years of my life (as of today while I am writing these lines), I have had full sexual relations only with 8 people. (There are those who may say it must be embarrassing to admit something like this – you are absolutely right).

The reason for this is undoubtedly connected to the fact that I have OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) at quite a high level, and therefore usually avoid sexual contact.

Together with this, although I usually have avoided sex, over the years, I have found myself having more and more tests for HIV. And then, in these same places where I did my tests, including Israel and New York (where I lived from 2001 to 2009), I met many wonderful, brave, generous and inspiring people, all of whom were HIV carriers, who helped me very much and encouraged me endlessly.

This book is dedicated to all these HIV carriers, who over time became my good friends, people who helped me get out of my "bubble" and taught me so much about courage, about hope, about love, and about life itself.

Some of them had been HIV carriers since the 1980's or early 1990's, long before effective treatments for this illness had reached the world.

These are people whose optimism knows, way ahead of science – that a cure for HIV is now only a matter of time. Until then, they will continue to live their lives with joy, faith and passion, and to enjoy every day in the situation they are in.

This book contains 100 great tips for (very) positive thinking. Without doubt, in my humble opinion, it will show you many interesting and different ways towards a healthy life with HIV in the twenty-first century.

If I succeed to encourage somebody, even by a little bit, in his way through life as an HIV carrier, then I will feel that I have done my part.

And just one small note before I finish my introduction: this book has been written with reference to readers of the male gender, but, of course, it is also intended for women. It was simply easier to keep to the male format throughout.

Therefore I apologize to all female HIV carriers who may be reading this book.

This book is intended for you just as much as it is intended for men.