Advocates Hope Charlie Sheen's Announcement Will Raise HIV Awareness
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Actor Charlie Sheen's announcement that he is HIV-positive could send a message of awareness about who can contract the disease, a community organization director said on Tuesday.
The actor is one of the largest celebrities to disclose that he's HIV-positive in recent years.
"I think publicly acknowledging his status is great," said Melinda Ruger, the executive director of Harm Reduction Services. "We shouldn't be ashamed, and we shouldn't be giving the message of shame to the general population."
The organization helps the homeless and drug-addicted stay healthy and offers HIV support services. Ruger says Sheen's disclosure will hopefully make people aware that even people like Sheen—straight men with money—can still contract the virus.
"It's definitely still a real issue, and it's a real issue for everyone not just sex workers, not just substance users, not just gay men, not just the transgender community, it's everybody's issue," she said.
While she hopes the actor's announcement will help chip away at the stigma, she's also saddened to hear Sheen himself admits he was so ashamed that he paid millions of dollars to people who threatened to reveal his secret.
"He was being victimized because of this truth in his life that he shouldn't have been ashamed of," she said. "I would really really invite people to not judge, because it is a personal experience."
She wishes the actor can now become an advocate for those living with the virus.
"I hope he shines a light on a lot of the people that are struggling with those same issues that don't have the resources," she said.