David & JohnnyCourtesy of David & Johnny

There is positively nothing wrong with having a preference for only dating others who are living with the virus. It shows you know how to make choices.

However, when it comes to dating you may find that as time goes on preferences change.

Here are some things you may want to consider when dating only other people who are living with HIV like yourself.

  • There is a difference. There is a big difference between knowing the type of person you would like to date and limiting yourself to only dating someone with HIV. Regardless of status, finding someone to date, fall in love with or maintain a healthy relationship with is not easy.

    We all bring to the “dating table” things others may not be able to handle. Disclosing your status to dates may not be the easiest thing to do, but it could reveal their ability to invest in building a relationship.
  • Stigma works both ways. It is understandable to believe that dating someone with the same HIV status as you may seem easier, but is it really? As people living with HIV, we have fought hard to show people that we deserve to be loved just as anyone else.

    HIV should not define who we are and decide whether we should be alone for the rest of our lives. That said, we can’t expect the world to treat us the same if we are not even willing to open ourselves up to the possibility of dating a person who does not live with HIV.
  • What if HIV-negative people felt the same way? Think about it. How many successful dates have you had over the last year? Did the dating end once they found out your status? Whether it extended past that point or not, realize that it’s already tough finding someone to date without having to worry about HIV.

    If people who are not living with HIV were not open to dating people who are living with HIV, they could be missing out on meeting someone really great, someone like you!

Go to DavidAndJohnny.org for more information on all things David and Johnny. Also check out their video blog series “Table Talk” on POZ.com.

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