An Article:
Jeffrey, who is gay, says he frequently found himself in the company of men who were HIV-positive yet whose outward appearance suggested perfect health. He says the specter of contracting the HIV virus did not seem terribly ominous at the time.
"Most of the guys that I was attracted to were (HIV) positive, guys that looked like they could be on the cover of a men's fitness magazine," he said. "My ex-boyfriend looked like a Greek god. Everyone I wanted to be with looked like one, coupled with low self-esteem and the drugs, made me ask myself, 'What does it really matter? If I get it, I get it. I'll have to take some pills and everything will be fine.'" University of Miami AIDS researcher Margaret Fischl says Jeffrey's cavalier attitude towards HIV and AIDS is hardly unique. "What has happened with the youth now, is that they do not see patients that are very ill; they do not see patients that are dying." she said. "When you are young, death and dying is not a reality for you.
