Many of us have heard of HIV - which stands for human immunodeficiency virus - but may not know as much about what it is like to live with HIV in 2021.
That is why, working with local HIV charity Brigstowe, we put together these stories of some people in the city living with HIV ahead of World Aids Day today (Wednesday, December 1).
In our stories, we have aimed to break the stigma, the stereotypes and misconceptions around HIV by speaking to a variety of people - from a mum-of-one who was diagnosed with HIV during a routine check up at the sexual health clinic to a 60-year-old who went to hospital with appendicitis and ended up being told he was close to having AIDS.
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HIV is a virus that damages the cells in the immune system and weakens the body's ability to fight everyday infections and disease, explains the NHS, while AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when the immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus.
Here is a summary of the stories we have been telling you:
'My first thought was 'what have I done?
Four years ago, Emily was diagnosed with HIV during a routine check up at the sexual health clinic.
The mum-of-one talked about her diagnosis - and how her first thoughts were 'What have I done? I had one chance at life and I've messed up big time!'.
However, the 32-year-old said HIV doesn't impact her daily life and that, if anything, it had allowed her to improve her life by being resilient and meeting the most amazing and brilliant people along the way.
Emily - a peer mentor with Bristol's Brigstowe - said she didn't keep the fact she has HIV secret and that she was open about her status because she was once someone that believed that it wouldn't happen to her.
She said that as heterosexual woman she belonged to a 'low risk' group and the test for HIV was optional - but it did happen to her.
Thanks to the treatment's effectiveness, Emily's son was born negative. You can read Emily's full story here.
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'My health went off a precipice rather suddenly'
For ten years, Martin Burns lived with HIV unknowingly and, in fact, it wasn't until his health suddenly deteriorated that he got diagnosed in 2007.
Martin, from Easton, said that in some ways his daily life had improved since he was diagnosed as, thanks to the medication, he is actually healthier than he was in his 20s.
He added that the treatment for HIV is much easier these days than when he was first diagnosed as he is only taking three tablets every morning now - while he used to take eight tablets at different times and with different criteria.
The HIV activist also talked about why people shouldn't ask how people contracted HIV. Read Martin's story here.
'Am I going to die?'
These days, Aled Osborne works with Brigstowe to improve the lives of people with HIV, but when he was diagnosed with the virus in 2012, he was left speechless.
He started crying and images of ill looking, frail people flooded his mind - as well as the question 'Am I going to die?'.
Aled talked about the stigma around HIV, saying in the UK it is very un-British to talk about sex, which is also very stigmatised.
He also talked about how, earlier on his journey, he found disclosing to a partner he had HIV nerve racking and that it is always quite a scary thing to do.
You can read Aled's story here.
'It was not great'
In the mid 90s, Andy Ray lost two friends to HIV/AIDS so, when he was diagnosed with the virus more than a decade later, he had this feeling that his life had come to an end.
Being diagnosed at the age of 42 in 2008, Andy's experience of being diagnosed with HIV wasn't a good one.
Andy, who lives in Totterdown, talked about some common misconceptions around HIV, such as people thinking you can catch AIDS, adding the powerful adverts in the 80s and how the virus was talked about back then went on to create a huge stigma.
The landscape gardener also touched on the impact coronavirus had had on people living with HIV.
You can read his story here.
'I was in a bad way'
Finally, Ashley provided a different perspective, being a 60-year-old with HIV.
In 2015, Ashley Hawken went to hospital in agony because of appendicitis but what they didn't realise is that the blood tests done would pick up something else: that they had HIV.
Ashley was 55 at the time and had a late diagnosis, having contracted the virus five years earlier.
The late diagnosis meant their immune system had been severely damaged by the HIV virus, being close to having AIDS.
Ashley talked about the health problems he was experiencing prior to being diagnosed, together with issues such as sexuality and older people.
You can read their story here.
World AIDS Day is marked internationally on December 1 st every year since 1988. Brigstowe said it aims to remind everyone that HIV has not gone away and there is a vital need to increase awareness, reduce stigma and raise vital funds.
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