I just finished reading a comic about being a teen with a family member who is infected with HIV. It really portrayed the problems teens have to deal with when they’re parents are HIV positive. The main character’s name is Essence Andrews and the story is called Tempted To Trust.

Essence has a problem trusting her boyfriend enough to knock the boots.

They have been together for a year and she doesn’t want to give him a password to something I like to call the ‘dungeon of love’. Her father is infected with HIV and she does not want to make the same mistake he did. So, Essence is at her boyfriend’s house and things start to get hot and steamy. I’m talking about bumpin’ and grindin’ on your parents couch when they’re not home. She wants to do it but only with a condom, but he doesn’t have one so she says no. Of course, that doesn’t make the boyfriend too happy so they get into an argument; she starts crying and goes home.

When she gets home she tells her father everything that happens. He is really happy to find out that she is a lot smarter than he used to be.

Personally, I like this story. It really hits home. I feel like Essence is my little sister and I’m ready to kick her boyfriend’s ass. I could understand after a year he’s probably hung like a moose, but still, you can’t do it without consent unless you’re Kobe Bryant or something.

When people hear about HIV, nobody really thinks it could ever happen to them or that it only infects people in Africa, but the truth is it can happen to anyone. A survey shows that most people would not like to still remain friends with someone who is infected with HIV.
—Chris Vargas