This Dad Was Born With HIV; Now He Has A Family Of 5. His Story Will Blow Your Mind

This Dad Was Born With HIV; Now He Has A Family Of 5. His Story Will Blow Your Mind

Andrew Pulsipher and his family are an extremely interesting example of how modern medicine can truly better our lives. You see, Andrew Pulsipher is HIV positive, however no one else in his family has the virus including his spouse or children. Thanks to the medicine that Andrew takes, only three pills a day, his HIV is able to pass as undetectable. This means that the medicine he takes is so effective that the chance he has of passing the virus on to his wife or children is less than one percent. Those are beautiful odds. Andrew and his family are an inspiration in eradicating the stigma that surrounds HIV helping to separate fact from fiction concerning the virus and bringing to light the advancements that have been made regarding it. However low the risk is for Andrew to pass on the virus to his family, they still use necessary precaution. This includes using protection when he and his wife are intimate to lessen the odds of her getting HIV unless they are trying for a child.

When the two first decided that they would like to start a family, they were very concerned about passing on Andrew Pulsipher’s HIV to his children. So to eliminate all risks, the couple sought fertility treatments. This involved extracting the semen from the sperm to ensure that there would be no copies of HIV attaching to the egg. After three tries, the fertility treatments worked and the couple was blessed with a daughter. Shortly after, Andrew Pulsipher’s HIV was under control to the point that it was able to pass as undetectable and the risk was so low the couple found out that they may be able to conceive their next two children naturally. That’s just what they did, and were blessed yet again with two very healthy babies free of the HIV virus.

Later on, Andrew Pulsipher finally felt that it was time to share the success story of his family with his friends and family. With whom he had until recently felt uncomfortable sharing the details of his HIV with. So Andrew and his family decided to post a photo on Facebook that explained their miraculous, and and managed circumstance. Andrew on the left holding a “HIV +” sign and his other family members each holding a “HIV -” sign. The photo appropriately reading, “Having a negative family can be the most positive thing in your life.” Unexpectedly, the photo went viral and Andrew’s courage has helped reduce the harsh stigma that surrounds the HIV virus.

Andrew Pulsipher Is HIV Positive, But His Wife And Kids Are Not. Here’s Why| TheHuffingtonPost

“‘It Ends with Me’: Man with HIV Shares Stigma-busting Family Photo.” CTVNews. Web. 22 May 2015.

The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media. Web. 22 May 2015.