Thriving with HIV: The only thing holding us back is stigma

By speaking openly about living with HIV, Novartis’ Cliff Hoffmann hopes to rewrite the narrative: the real threat today isn’t the virus, but the stigma surrounding it. He shares his story below.

Thirteen years ago, I collapsed on the floor with flu-like symptoms. I was rushed to the hospital, where I spent three weeks in isolation. No one explained what was happening. No diagnosis. No support. Just silence. When I was finally discharged, I thought everything was fine - until I was called back in.

I waited for hours in the hospital. Eventually, a doctor came in, sat down, looked me in the eyes, and said, “You have HIV.” That was it. No explanation. No next steps. No support. I was alone. I drove myself home, and on that drive, I seriously considered ending my life. It felt like a death sentence.

But I didn’t. I thought of my husband. I thought of my family. I chose to live.

The weight of silence

When I told my husband, we cried together. What hurt most wasn’t just the diagnosis - it was the fear that I might have unknowingly passed the virus to him. We had to wait three agonizing months to find out if he was also positive. Thankfully, he wasn’t. But the guilt, the fear, the shame - it was overwhelming.

Telling my parents was another trauma. My mother screamed for 15 minutes on the phone. My father was silent. But eventually, they rallied. A family friend who was a doctor helped us find a specialist in a nearby city. That doctor changed everything. He looked at me and said, “It’s not a death sentence. You’ll be okay.” And he was right.

Living with HIV in 2025

Today, I’m healthy. I take one pill a day. I’m undetectable, which means I cannot transmit the virus to others. This is what “U=U” means: Undetectable = Untransmittable. It’s a message that needs to be shouted from the rooftops.

But even in 2025, stigma persists. People still associate HIV with shame, secrecy, and death. Even within the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve faced rejection. When I started being open about my status on dating apps, I was met with fear and ignorance. But I kept going. I added my status to my profile. I talked about it. I answered questions. And I realized something: the more I shared, the more people listened - and learned.

From silence to advocacy

My journey from silence to advocacy didn’t happen overnight. It was step by step. First, I opened up to friends. Then I started volunteering with AIDS organizations. I was twice the responsible person for the Pride truck during the parade in Munich. I attended the vernissage of the International AIDS Conference. I invited HIV educators to speak at my workplace, Novartis, where I serve as Co-Lead of the Pride Employee Resource Group and as a Pride Ambassador.

I realized that people want to learn - they just don’t always know how to ask. There’s still fear. Fear of being judged. Fear of being labeled. But when we create safe spaces for open conversations, we can break through that fear.

Beyond Drag: Art as activism

One of the most powerful projects I’ve been part of is Beyond Drag, created by the incredible Anne Coersmeier. The project features portraits of drag artists - each image a fusion of the performer in and out of drag. The proceeds go to the Deutsche Aidshilfe and Deutsche Krebshilfe.

When Anne asked me to be part of the project, I said yes - but only if I could wear a shirt that said “U=U.” I wanted people to ask what it meant. I wanted to start conversations. And it worked. At every exhibition, people asked. They learned. They understood.

Art has the power to educate. To challenge. To heal. Beyond Drag is proof of that.

Positivity and responsibility

I lived in an open marriage. I live a sex-positive life. That means I believe in open, honest, and consensual sexual expression. I attend fetish events. And I talk openly about it - not because I want attention, but because I want to normalize conversations around sexuality and health.

There’s still so much stigma around sex - especially when it intersects with HIV. But here’s the truth: being sex-positive doesn’t mean being irresponsible. In fact, it often means the opposite. Queer communities were among the first to take monkeypox seriously, to get vaccinated, to protect each other. We talk about STIs. We get tested. We take PrEP. We know about PEP.

And yet, many straight people have never had an STI test. Many don’t know that PEP - a medication you can take within 48 hours of a risk exposure - exists. That needs to change. HIV is not a “gay disease.” It affects everyone. And everyone deserves to be informed.

Writing to educate

In addition to my advocacy work, I’ve started writing books. My latest, available on Amazon, explores the concept of privilege - how it shapes our lives, often invisibly. My previous books focus on how we can use AI to understand dreams, emotions, and creativity - topics that have also helped me in my HIV advocacy.

Writing helps me process, reflect, and reach people who might never attend a workshop or listen to a podcast. For me, storytelling - whether through books, podcasts, or drag - is a tool for transformation.

What I want you to know

If you take one thing from my story, let it be this: HIV is not a death sentence. It’s a manageable condition. With treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy, fulfilling lives. But the stigma? That’s what still kills.

We need to talk about HIV. We need to educate ourselves and each other. We need to normalize testing, treatment, and prevention. And we need to support those who are living openly and authentically - because every story shared is a step toward a more inclusive, compassionate world.

If my story helps even one person feel less alone, less ashamed, more empowered - that’s enough. But I hope it helps many more.

World AIDS Day: Supporting Colleagues With HIV/AIDS

Cliff Hoffmann will be speaking at myGwork's World AIDS Day: Supporting Colleagues With HIV/AIDS panel next week on December 3, 2025.

Click here to find out more, and sign up for free.