It is nice to get the feedback and the thanks from you all. Encouraging.
SO let me continue....
today was a great day at work. Some of my patients that move me most came in today.
I will tell you of one of them.

We will call him #1. HE is a gentleman from Vietnam. He is in his 30s. He is so kind. He calls me Dr Emily. He was diagnosed in the ICU.. had severe vision changes related to cytomegalovirus an opportunistic infection that can occur with late stage AIDS. He had no idea what was going on. He was pretty sick. Very sick and in a foriegn country. He got connected to my practice and began antiretrovirals. He is extremley diligent about taking his meds and he is now doing quite well a few residual things from his initial illness linger.. but you would never know it looking at him.

Here is where the real pain lies. He shares a home with his family. They will not share the table with him. The do not let him use the same utensils. His things must remain separate because they are afraid they will get AIDS from himand his stuff.
You may not know this, but there has not been a documented case of HIV transmission via casual contact. Casual contact is defined as living together in a home but not sexually active with one another.
Lets be clear: HIV is transmitted in the following ways sexaully, IVDU, breastfeeding, to baby during delivery (have not had a positive baby born to my patients in years), transfusion prior to 1984. Blood to blood. Blood id found in blood. semen, vaginal fluid, breastmilk. ( I rememer in the early days of the Hotline.. a young owman called and asked if she could get HIV from her own menstrual bloood... boy have we come a long way... I hope)
So... as you can see #1's family has nothing to fear but their ignorance keeps them in fear and keeps him feeling isolated and dirty. He feels sad and we discuss this at every visit.
I have had a letter translated into their native language but that has not helped. I have invited them to my office for education and to answer questions but they do not come.
So my gentle #1 live outcast in his own home.

Imagine what that feels like day after day.