Charlie Sheen Has HIV

Yesterday rumors were circulating the actor Charlie Sheen was going to make a big announcement about his HIV status.  Today, Charlie Sheen announced on the Today Show that he is in fact HIV positive. He came out now with the news after being blackmailed by individuals who learned of his diagnosis and wanted 10 million dollars in return for their silence.  Sheen stated that he would get severe headaches and would have cold sweats. He thought that he had a brain tumor but doctors revealed that he has HIV. Sheen released a statement after his Today Show appearance.

Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez in 1965 in New York City of Spanish and Irish descent and raised Catholic. He is well known for playing the 'handsome bad boy type' guy and for starring in hit 80's movies such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Wraith and sitcoms Two and a Half Men and Anger Management.

Luckily, Sheen has a low HIV body count which makes the virus undetectable.  Chances of him passing it on to another individual are very slim.  Sheen has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for years as well as depression which he stated were the consequences of learning of his HIV diagnosis.  

We must pray for Sheen and everyone infected with HIV or AIDS.  The disease is not something to be taken lightly. Those who promote 'safe sex' education make light of the disease by pretending that a 'rubber' will make things fine when it does not. According to aids.gov, "Although highly effective when used consistently and correctly, there is still a chance of getting HIV if you only use condoms, so adding other prevention methods can further reduce your risk. (https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/using-condoms/)

Anyone who is sexually active must get tested regularly.  This would ensure that if infected, proper treatment is given. With the medications today, those with HIV can be expected to live nearly as normal of a life as one without the virus. HIV should not be seen as a death sentence. Each one of us will eventually die. How we die is up how we live our lives, chance and of course whatever God willed.

I understand many people will get depressed if diagnosed with HIV; however, they should not be. Eventually we will find a cure for it so it is important that those infected keep their hopes up and fight it with medication and healthy living.

A couple of friends of mine have revealed to me their status and were depressed about it.  One in particular, revealed he was gay. He had gay sex with his partner who is deceased now and contracted HIV.  During this time, he was embarrassed to ask me to go to the wake believing that my Catholic faith prohibited it, but I went to it and prayed with the gays and relatives present.  My friend became depressed and wanted to commit suicide numerous times. Thank God for giving me the words, emotions and body language necessary to convince him not to commit suicide and not to feel like he was condemned for being gay. I told him that God forgives all wrong. No sin is greater than God's mercy unless we simply reject God's mercy which is the sin against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29).

Like my gay friend, Sheen deserves our mercy, prayers and love, not judgment.  Yes he lived a wild life with women and what not, we all do crazy things; but God is the judge of our lives.  We have to live with the consequences of our choices.  No one on Earth is worthy to cast the first stone, so to speak.







Source:

https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/charlie-sheen-reveals-he-has-hiv-124700393.html

https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/in-an-open-letter-charlieasheen-writes-his-hiv-170453002.html

http://www.today.com/health/charlie-sheen-reveals-hes-hiv-positive-today-show-exclusive-t56391