Halloween has come and gone. I had a great one this year- saw my friends’ new band, Brighter Fires, have their first show at a house party that included the obligatory visit by the police. So funny, I had a can of beer in my hand and set it down when the car rolled in, even though I’m 36. I haven’t been to a house party since high school, so it was just my natural reaction.

Another highlight was helping my Goddaughter make her first jack-o-lantern, and taking her out with Gwenn and her mother to go trick-or-treating on the campus of UVa. Oh, and I also got to rewatch my favorite Halloween movie of all-time, The Monster Squad, complete with a drink I invented called “Wolfman’s Nards”, which is basically a white russian with two Lindt chocolate balls dropped into it. (Gotta see the movie to get the name of the drink.)

Anyway, November is here, but the scares for people living with HIV don’t end with the festive pagan holiday rituals.  My friend, Sonya, just blogged about an unhappy ending for a Massage Envy patron who is HIV positive.  Basically, the masseuse used rubber gloves to perform the massage. Can you imagine how awful that must have been, going in for a relaxing massage only to be reminded of your HIV status and how scared some people are to even touch you?

Here’s to hoping that this Massage Envy in Houston gets their act together.  It’s just another reason why comprehensive HIV education is needed- the issue is not just about sexual health, it’s about creating an environment that isn’t filled with panic. We’ve come a long way in 30 years, but there are still so many people who don’t have a clue about how HIV is and isn’t transmitted.

Positively Yours,
Shawn