In 2005, Aids nearly killed me – now I’m determined to outlive the condition

Survivor Jason Reid explains why it’s so important to end the epidemic that has claimed countless lives

Ending Aids after millions of people who, in so many cases, died in the most horrifying and unspeakable manner will be bittersweet (AFP via Getty)

My perspective of Aids as a survivor is a unique one – particularly as with each passing year fewer survivors remain, and the horrors of Aids become more of a distant memory that younger people have no meaningful connection to. Bridging the generational gap is important to me.

When Aids began disproportionately wiping out gay men in the Eighties, governments on both sides of the Atlantic turned a blind eye to the crisis in a way that wouldn’t have happened if a virus was sweeping through the general population. Times may change but homophobia remains.

This is why I strongly believe that the history of Aids ought to be remembered in the first instance via the testimonies of those affected, and living survivors like myself have a responsibility to ensure that history is not whitewashed by those in power.