POZitivity - My Online Persona

Image: Own

Hello to everyone from SteemIt. I'm finally doing something that I've put off doing - introducing myself.

However, unlike everyone else, I'm unable to post a picture of myself in my introduction due to the fact that I'd still like to be able to hide under a little cloak of anonymity. You might ask, "Why the need for that?"

It is due to the fact that this online persona of mine is all about a very sensitive issue in my life. I am HIV positive. It is due to the stigma associated with it that I chose to want to pen my stories under an anonymous pen name. I hope this is a good enough reason for everyone to accept.

My Wishes, My Desires

My reason for being on SteemIt? To lend a voice to this condition. In fact, it is one of the main reasons how this online persona of me came up in the first place.

Before SteemIt, I went through the long and tedious process of setting up online blogs for me to just be able to express myself.

I mentioned long and tedious because I have had to be one of the worst and hopeless (read - technology dumbo) being to have ever existed. I was so out of touch with social media and all. In fact, until two weeks ago when I joined SteemIt, I hadn't even came across the term 'Markdown' before. That was how hopeless I was. Haah!

I digressed

As I've mentioned, I wanted to have an outlet where I could just express my thoughts and all. I started out on hosted blogs. But my account got banned due to it being reported for posting about sensitive topics. (Ouch!)

I went on to create my own website. But it drew almost no traffic at all. I had the greatest laugh with Google Advertising's customer service personnel when we reviewed the searches that brought traffic to my site (yes, I paid for the advertising). Let's face it. Who would give a f*ck about such a topic. That was what I thought.

That changed when I came on SteemIt.

Why My Need For This?

I personally feel that with more open discussions and people sharing their personal stories and experiences, the stigma associated to the condition could be eliminated.

At times, it is not the disease that kills. But it is the stigma that kills.

And that is what I hope to achieve. By baring a part of me, I could help unmask the condition in my own little way. Although I would have to admit that I might bare too much that it pushes boundaries a little.

I posted my first post on SteemIt two weeks back. While it didn't garner much attention, the comments made were very encouraging (special mention to @simonjay & @kiwideb) which kept the desire going.

Steeming Ahead

While this is not exactly a topic of interest to many, I hope that some of you can just take a little time to hear the voice of a little boy who just wants to be heard.

Of one, whose hopes and dreams are that one day, being HIV positive is nothing to be ashamed and afraid of.

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To find out more about me, you can read my post, 'Pozitivity - My Life As A HIV+ Youth'

Image: Own