A Democratic House candidate in Florida on Thursday revealed he is HIV-positive.
Former Florida Democratic Party Chairman Bob Poe made the announcement in a video posted on his Facebook page.
{mosads}“I’d like to share something deeply personal with you today,” Poe says in the video. “Something that in the past I’ve only shared with a few family members. And that is 18 years ago, I was diagnosed with HIV.”
Poe, who’s running for a seat in Florida’s 10th District, which includes parts of Orlando, said he is “perfectly healthy” thanks to treatments he got early on.
Poe decided to reveal his diagnosis after he met a woman he referred to as “Linda” who told him that she recently found out that she had HIV.
“Linda told me that she had recently been diagnosed with HIV, and she thought she had a death sentence,” he said.
“I told her that she didn’t and even told her where she could go to get the resources she needed. But I really just wanted to hug her and let her know that she wasn’t alone, because I too have HIV,” Poe continued.
“But I was still hung up in the fear and the stigma that surrounds this condition.”
Poe said going public with his diagnosis will allow him to work to remove that fear and stigma.
“Because it’s those things that keep people from getting the diagnosis and the treatment they need to live perfectly healthy lives like I have,” he said.