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Junior,
1995.Junior
August 3, 1995
Junior's Apartment
Upper Tenderloin, San Francisco
Junior's younger brother Bunso is present.
My parents are not here, so I don't have older family to guide me if I need help. If I want to have a good time, I'll go with my young friends. But if it's something serious about my life, I talk to my older friends. Even before I found I was HIV positive, I don't have a lot of time to waste. And now I have HIV and I just have to move on.
MW: How old were you when you tested positive?
Junior: Last year. 22. I think I got infected in April of 1994.
MW: Why did you decide to get tested?
Junior: When I moved back to San Francisco, the company I joined gave additional individual life insurance to their employees. In order to qualify, you need to be tested for everything. They sent the medical technician to work, who took my blood. After a few weeks, the insurance agent phones me. He said that my application got denied, and he doesn't know why. My family has a history of diabetes and heart problems so I thought maybe I have diabetes. He said, "If you think they made a mistake, then I can send them back and do a test again." And I said, "Oh, I'm sure they'll send me a letter to explain why." They sent me a letter Certified Mail that said, "write us at this address, and have your doctor request information so he can analyze it for you and tell you." I didn't do anything. After a few weeks they sent another notice and I ignored it because I already have group insurance, individual life insurance doesn't really matter. I'm young, I won't die, I don't need life insurance. After another week they sent me my results because I'm not responding. That's how I found out I'm HIV positive.
MW: What did the letter say?
Junior: It said, I think I have it here. Yeah, I have it. It just said...
Bunso (his brother): Do you carry it with you every day?
Junior: Yeah (he jokes) No, no, I just have it here because I'll be seeing a new doctor and I need to show it.
My brother questioned me earlier about it, how come I bring this everyday. And I said, "Because my diagnosis is here, and I need to take advantage of it. Get all the benefits I can." (He laughs)
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