It’s flu season on a Saturday night and Alex isn’t feeling well. By Sunday morning he’s miserable—shaking, coughing, nauseous, short of breath, and running a high fever. His mother calls, urging him to seek medical care, and his girlfriend offers to drive. Alex hesitates. His regular doctor is closed on the weekend and some of his past experiences seeking care outside his regular doctor’s office have left him feeling humiliated and ashamed.
In his feverish state, Alex remembers back to the last time he sought medical care outside his regular health care provider. When urgent care staff found out he was living with HIV, their whole attitude toward him changed. They arrived in the room donning goggles, a mask, and two pairs of gloves to simply take his vital signs. They also asked intrusive and medically unnecessary questions about how he had contracted HIV.
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