Reflections from an HIV Advocate's Journey: Brady Etzkorn-Morris

By: Brady Etzkorn-Morris, Executive Assistant of Global Operations, Prevention Access Campaign

I couldn’t have been more excited when I moved to Nashville in the early spring of 2008. I had just turned 32 and had taken a corporate office job. My career path was falling into place and I felt as if I was finally getting a grasp on “adulting”. However, in July of that same year, my new primary care doctor walked into the room and informed me I had AIDS. Everything around me began to crumble and finding my footing seemed impossible. To help numb the shame and internal pain that came with my diagnosis, I turned to alcohol and methamphetamine which also led to numerous suicide attempts. Thankfully, I had family and friends that came to my rescue and they helped pull me from that dark place.

Having existed in that dark place for so long was one of the biggest reasons I decided to become public about my diagnosis. I realized that while that part of my own story had been written, I could help others to not let their stories sound similar to mine. I became a member of the Nashville Regional HIV Planning Council, Mr. Friendly Tennessee, and various other organizations where I could use my own life experience to create change and to help influence HIV policy on a local level.

Then in 2016, I learned about U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable), which was the last tool I needed to shed the internalized HIV stigma I had carried since the day of my diagnosis. I was able to use my experiences to influence the Nashville Metro Public Health Department to adopt a resolution supporting the science behind U=U. A U=U Task Force was also formed under the umbrella of our EHE efforts and we became one of the few cities across the country with a local U=U Ambassador program.

When I reflect back on my past 15 years of living with HIV, I now see that so many of the things that I was afraid of happening, never materialized, and HIV gave me so much more than it ever took away from my life; the people I have met along my journey, the love I have received from the HIV community, and my current position working for Prevention Access Campaign has shaped who I am today; and I’m happy to say I truly love this version of myself.

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.