Heterosexual Straight Men Erased, Invisible and Ignored

We are Kalvin and Eunice Marshall a seroconcordant couple (both diagnosed with HIV in 2007) married for 41 years. We advocate together as a heterosexual couple to bring HIV awareness to the heterosexual community.

We've been away from advocacy since 2024 because of health issues of Kalvin. We are slowly getting back involved and picking up where we left off fighting for heterosexual men's visibility discrepancies.

Being Straight Heterosexual Men with HIV

Four decades into this HIV epidemic we are still fighting against the stereotypical conclusion that every man diagnosed with HIV has to either be same gender loving, doing drugs, bisexual and or on the DL. With the decision to tunnel a lot of the funding to being used as prevention to combat heterosexual women contracting HIV by targeting the bisexual and mythical DL community, women are still contracting HIV at alarming rates.

During webinars and discussions in the HIV community the general consensus continues to reflect on the determination that men really aren't heterosexual and are not able to be honest with their sexuality and are hiding their bisexual behaviors and taking HIV home to their partners. The reality is more and more Heterosexual straight men are contracting HIV but are not on anyone's status sheets questioning why?

Becoming invisible

After diagnosis and treatment is started heterosexual straight men become invisible. And told take your ARV's make all your doctor's appointments and you'll be fine.

Even though when asked about heterosexual men to pharmaceutical companies the response is they know heterosexual men are out there and taking their ARV medications but funding is only available for Gay men , heterosexual women and bisexual men and now trans women.

Leaving Heterosexual straight men with No voice

When armed with data showing how Heterosexual Men are in need of supportive services the ASO agencies are adamant in saying they are only focused on gay men, heterosexual black women, people of color, bisexual black men , and trans women. Those at the highest risk. Again silencing the voice of heterosexual straight men.

There are heterosexual men who are speaking up and speaking but no one listens to a few faint voices. The vast majority of men decide to stay unseen and unheard because of the judgment and stigma that a HIV diagnosis carries with being diagnosed as a man. Many heterosexual men choose to not fan the flames of the gay and DL label which may result in loss of employment , the separation of spouses and partners resulting in using the alleged gay HIV status in divorce and child custody hearings.

With the talk about everyone working together to end HIV at last year's USCHA conference how can that happen if Heterosexual straight men are literally ignored in HIV statistics and aren't included in any discussions??
Make it Make Sense ???