How do you word your HIV status?

[Zohar]

Please vote in the poll and say why you prefer the option you have chosen.

Thanks.

Zohar

[phildinftlaudy]

I say I'm HIV positive because it describes the state of condition I have -
I don't say "I am HIV" because I am not HIV --- I'm a human being who has HIV.

[drewm]

I'm HIV poz

[Miss Philicia]

I've never heard someone say "I am HIV" -- would you say "I am cancer"? No, if you don't want to say "+" you would say "I have HIV"

Otherwise I fail to understand the importance.

[Joe K]

The only option that can be true is that I am HIV positive.  I am not a virus, so I cannot claim to be HIV.

[le_liseur]

I'm not sure to understand the question. Did you enter the options too fast?

I say I'm HIV+, I have HIV or I'm seropositive.

[Zohar]

I'm not sure to understand the question. Did you enter the options too fast?

I say I'm HIV+, I have HIV or I'm seropositive.

No. That's how I intended the options to be.

[mecch]

Huh?
Are you a native English speaker?
Never heard "I am HIV".
Heard "I Am Curious Yellow" however but that was a long time ago.

[Zohar]

Huh?
Are you a native English speaker?

Yes.

[le_liseur]

No. That's how I intended the options to be.

Now I'm curious. Can you explain the story behind the question?

[Zohar]

Now I'm curious. Can you explain the story behind the question?

I will. But not just yet.

I don't want to influence people's responses.

[mecch]

Whatever. Not a very generous argument to take up our time, however.

[Joe K]

I will. But not just yet.

I don't want to influence people's responses.

Anyone who speaks proper English, can only choose the first option.  Nobody here is a virus.

[Miss Philicia]

I'm on the edge of my seat.

[Zohar]

Good, good.

[Joe K]

I'm on the edge of my seat.

That makes one of us.  

[le_liseur]

I'm sitting back in mine, waiting for my mojito to come. But alas, I don't have any waiter home...

And the ribs are still cooking in the BBQ...

But, what about you, Zohar? How do you phrase it?

[Jeff G]

I'm on the edge of my seat.

you are the edge of your seat according to this thread .

I'm HIV positive or sometime if I'm asked to do something I don't want to do I have Aids .

[Miss Philicia]

If this was a Will Smith movie it would be called I, HIV.

[skeebo1969]

      Changing my name to HIV would definitely one up that guy with the license plate a few years back.

[mikeyb39]

I just say i'm positive.  that seems to get the point across pretty well.

[Dachshund]

I'm old school. I am GRID.

[Matty the Damned]

The poll is weaksauce.

I have AIDS. HIV is for pansies.

MtD

[Joe K]

HIV, the virus formally known as GRID.

[Matty the Damned]

HIV: it's like the 'flu but different.

MtD

[Assurbanipal]

Sometimes I think certain software apps don't display the + sign consistently, so people type in HIV+ but it shows up as HIV. 

Or so I've heard

[wolfter]

Why isn't "I have the gay flu" an option?

[wolfter]

you are the edge of your seat according to this thread .

 if I'm asked to do something I don't want to do I have Aids .

That works quite well.  I hate to admit that I've used this tactic.

[buginme2]

I' m confused.   Who am I telling that I have HIV (or am HIV)? Why am I telling them? 

I guess when I told my friends and family I said I've got HIV.  When my doctor told me she said. Your test came back positive.   Otherwise I'm not like Annie Lennox walking around town wearing a positive tee shirt.

Although thats an option.

Still confused

[buginme2]

Je Suis HIV

[Rev. Moon]

Je Suis HIV

No habla espanyol.

This has got to be the most exciting poll EVAH.  The only acceptable option would be I gots teh AIDS (or I am afflicted by the pooper flu when addressing the issue in a formal environment), everything else is a euphemism.

[Lou-ah-vull]

This thread is not particularly enlightening, but it certainly is entertaining!

[emeraldize]

I've heard "I'm HIV" in Detroit.  I was presenting about HIV there and when I said I was positive, a guy said, "You don't look HIV." It reminds me of that computer commercial I can't stand in which the actors say " I'm a PC." and I think, the client paid for that?

[le_liseur]

Je Suis HIV

You probably meant "Je suis VIH" ? 

[Miss Philicia]

I guess when I told my friends and family I said I've got HIV. 

Why don't you just mumble "buginme"?

[wolfter]

Why don't you just mumble "buginme"?

Now that's funny.   

[wolfter]

I'm tired of waiting on the results.....me, my hiv and my aids are going to bed.  I've been infected with tired.

[Valmont]

I prefer "I´ve been infected by HIV", in my case...

I hate "HIV positive", or "seropositive" and all that kind of terms that put you in a group...

[leatherman]

the phrases "I've got HIV" and "I've got AIDS" have been interchangeable, and boringly routine, for me after nearly 20 years now. Which one I use really just depends on how much shock value I'm looking for with my disclosure.

[spacebarsux]

If "I am HIV" then I have nothing to worry about coz I am rather cute and innocuous.  

[Ann]

I've never heard someone say "I am HIV" -- would you say "I am cancer"? No, if you don't want to say "+" you would say "I have HIV"

Otherwise I fail to understand the importance.

Lots of people say "I'm hiv". I've seen it here in the forums many, many times. There used to be a character on the UK soap opera who had hiv and used to say "I'm hiv" and I've heard it other times on telly shows and in films.  My bf used to say "I'm hiv" when we first got back together until I talked to him about it. He understood what I was getting at and stopped using that phrase.

And you're right, it doesn't make sense and you never hear people say "I'm cancer". Why it's done with hiv has always been a mystery to me.

I suppose in real life I usually say "I've got hiv" more than I say "I'm hiv positive", but thinking about it, I probably use the latter more than the former when writing online, or I just say "I'm positive" or "I'm a pozzie".

Semantics. They make life so much fun!

[metekrop]

I think one choice is left out from the vote.  That is HIV was f**king my azz and now I am back f**cking the HIV.   

[mecch]

Ann, is that British, then? Maybe it's a kind of British grammar. 

[darryaz]

Years ago (when I was still neg) a friend told me that he "was HIV".  Even then I thought it was incredibly sad that he thought of himself in those terms.

[Joe K]

Now I'm curious. Can you explain the story behind the question?

I will. But not just yet.

I don't want to influence people's responses.

We're still waiting...

[sharkdiver]

I just say  "I have fucking AIDS"


edited to add "What's up with the fucking grammar police?"

[DanMo]

I've heard people say "I'm HIV". It's a bit jarring. I guess it's a shortening of "I'm HIV positive". Like it's too much of an oral hassle to finish pronouncing the "positive" part.

I usually just say, I have HIV.

[Ac75088]

I'm just gonna start telling people I have hives minus the e.s. I know that's stupid..but oh well, who said I was smart anyway...

[Matty the Damned]

I will. But not just yet.

I don't want to influence people's responses.

Well that's good, seeing as you're the most influential person around here. 

MtD

[Grasshopper]

I prefer "I´ve been infected by HIV", in my case...

I hate "HIV positive", or "seropositive" and all that kind of terms that put you in a group...

Your choice would still put you in a group, namely: the group "infected by HIV"   

Don't you say in Spanish:  "Soy infectado CON VIH"  instead of  "POR" ?

Personally I've allways said that I am HIV positive,  I have AIDS or as up till 9 years ago I have Full Blown AIDS.