Jason Walker, HIV/AIDS community organizer with Vocal New York, was 20 when he was diagnosed with HIV after having unprotected sex with a man.
“It was devastating,” said Walker, now 27 and living in the South Bronx.
When he moved to New York City two years ago, Walker was homeless for two months, and saw his T-cell count drop significantly.
“I realized the importance of housing,” Walker said. “For five years my levels were consistent, and in two months I was 100 T-cells away from having AIDS.”
He now reaches out to young people of color to stop HIV.
“Young folks of color, men who have sex with other men in the black and brown community, those are my friends, my family,” Walker said.
One man’s story
