Charlie Sheen confirms he is living with HIV in interview with Today show on American TV
Image: Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen has revealed that he has been living with HIV for four years.
Editor鈥檚 note: This article was first published in the , an LGBTI news outlet based in Washington DC, US. This story was reproduced with their听permission.
CHARLIE听Sheen announced overnight听on the US version of the Today show that he is living with HIV.
[showads听ad=MREC]Sheen told Today show anchor Matt Lauer that he has known about contracting the virus for four years (scroll down for a video of听the听interview).
鈥淚鈥檓 here to admit that I am HIV-positive,鈥� Sheen said.
鈥淎nd I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks, subtruths and very harmful, mercurial stories that are threatening the health of many others, which couldn鈥檛 be farther from the truth.鈥�
The confession follows a slew of tabloid stories that reported Sheen鈥檚 HIV status, including the National Enquirer and TMZ.
Sheen said听all of his sexual partners, including paid escorts, were aware of his HIV status when they engaged in sexual activity with him. He said听that it was 鈥渋mpossible鈥� any of his sexual partners contracted the virus from him.
Sheen, who has publicly stated that he has a past with sex workers听and substance abuse issues, also revealed he paid people in exchange for their silence on the matter.
Sheen鈥檚 doctor, UCLA鈥檚 Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine Dr Robert Huizenga appeared on Today with Sheen. He told Lauer the virus now cannot be detected in Sheen鈥檚 blood and that Sheen does not have AIDS.
鈥淎IDS is a condition when the HIV virus markedly suppresses the immune system and you鈥檙e susceptible to rare, difficult cancers and infections,” Huizenga said.
鈥淐harlie has none of those. He is healthy. He does not have AIDS.鈥�
American LGBTI advocacy group GLAAD released a response to Sheen鈥檚 confession soon after the interview.
鈥淭o eradicate HIV once and for all, we must first eradicate the stigma attached to it,鈥� GLAAD听chief executive听Sarah Kate Ellis said.
鈥淪tigma prevents people from getting tested, it prevents people from getting treated, and it can contribute to increased rates of infection.
“In this new era of prevention and treatment, including methods like PrEP, the media must take this opportunity to end the stigma and shine light on the stories of more than 1.2 million Americans living full lives with HIV today.鈥�
Sheen continued in the interview that he wanted his public admission to help end the stigma around听HIV.
鈥淚 have a responsibility now to better myself and to help a lot of other people and hopefully with what we鈥檙e doing today others will come forward and say ‘thanks Charlie’,鈥� he said.
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