Gay men are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS in the United States. There is a dearth of autoethnographies in communication literature about living with HIV/AIDS. In this project, the researcher presents an autoethnography about living with HIV/AIDS. The narrative has with three points: HIV diagnosis, disease progression to AIDS, and AIDS mortality. By analyzing these areas, this project presents stages of identity development and summarizes how these have changed over time. This project looks at how societal symbols around HIV/AIDS evolve due to changes in technology, science and policy. This study works against the distance presented in most social science studies of living with HIV/AIDS; instead it presents an intimate view of current HIV/AIDS discourse and public health.
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