Five months after a life-altering diagnosis, a man is sharing a powerful message of hope and resilience, declaring he is now 'living his best life'. Seth Showalter, who learned he had HIV in June 2025, has used his platform to dismantle myths and confront the enduring stigma surrounding the condition.
A Message of Hope on World AIDS Day
His story emerges on December 1, which is World AIDS Day. This international movement, first held in 1988, aims to eradicate stigma and remember the millions lost. The day works towards the goal of ending new HIV cases by 2030, a target the UK Government has adopted, with England on track to be the first country to achieve it.
Showalter, who posts on TikTok as bringing.awareness, opened up in a recent video. "I've been living with HIV since June 5, 2025, and I need to say this loud and clear - this is not a death sentence," he stated. "I'm healthy, I'm thriving, and I am unstoppable."
Confronting Shame and Stigma
He was candid about his initial fear and isolation upon diagnosis. "When I was first diagnosed, I thought my life was over. I was scared, I was alone, and, honestly, I was swimming in shame," Showalter recalled. He then made a crucial realisation: "That shame wasn't mine to carry. It came from all of the stigma that still exists around HIV."
He emphasised that HIV does not discriminate and is not exclusive to any one group. Crucially, he highlighted a key medical fact: with effective treatment, people can live long, healthy lives and reach an undetectable status, meaning they cannot transmit the virus to others.
"People think HIV is this dirty little secret, when really it's just a medical condition, just like diabetes or high blood pressure," Showalter explained. "But the difference? People like me have to deal with the assumptions, the whispered judgements, the awkward questions."
The Global Picture and the Path Forward
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that an estimated 630,000 people died from HIV-related illnesses last year, with 1.3 million new cases diagnosed. Globally, 40.8 million people are living with HIV, including over 105,000 in the UK. Since 1985, the virus and related illnesses have claimed 44.1 million lives worldwide.
However, medical advances have transformed HIV into a manageable chronic condition. The WHO confirms that with proper prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, those living with HIV can lead long and healthy lives.
Showalter sees World AIDS Day as pivotal. "It's not just a day to remember, it's a day to educate, to fight stigma, and to celebrate how far we've come," he said. His personal journey from despair to empowerment underscores the day's core mission: replacing fear with understanding and shame with solidarity.
