James Breinig - Break the Silence

James Breinig lives in southern NJ. James is 29 years old and on November 2, 2010 He thought his life was over. He tested positive for HIV at the Washington West Project in Philadelphia. Not knowing a lot about the disease, He was convinced his life from that point on would be one of pain and suffering. A little over two years later his life has absolutely changed for the better! As time went on he felt that he really wanted to share his story. Not because it is Hollywood material but because it is very similar to a lot of other HIV positive individuals. His hope is that it will touch someone newly diagnosed or someone who has been living with it for years, who may be afraid to tell anyone, and to let them know they're going to be okay.

In the past two years James has learned a lot and he wants to continue educating himself so that he can share that with others. He has been lucky in that he has been showered with love and support, but he knows that not everyone out there is in the same boat. He thinks a big reason is that HIV is still a taboo subject. If more HIV positive people share their story, everyone they reach out to now knows someone who is living with it and hopefully they can see that HIV isn't WHO they are, only something they are living with. It is absolutely possible to lead a long, healthy life thanks to great strides in medicine. He believes that silence only fuels the stigma still surrounding HIV/AIDS, He would like to break that silence one person at a time.