"Hi!

I am Laurenz, 36 years old, and was diagnosed as HIV positive last summer.”

Laurenz's then still quiet, undisturbed world collapsed brick by brick.

He always did everything by the book: He always protected himself sufficiently and took the PrEP pill (PrEP is a pill that can prevent HIV infection for 99.9%...).

“You are the 0.1% ineffectiveness of PrEP, sir, we are sorry…”

It soon became apparent that Laurenz had few places to go with his questions. Neither medical professionals nor anyone around him could answer his pressing questions, which increased by the day.

“I was very surprised at how much ignorance there is still about HIV & AIDS and about the possible side effects of, for example:

• the attack of the virus

• the shock at diagnosis

• the treatment

• the psychological consequences

all unfortunately still fueled by stigma and taboo.”

Laurenz would like to help break this stigma and taboo by putting his story in a book and, under the heading of prevention, making people aware of the possible impact and side effects that this disease and its treatment(s) may entail.  

EXPERTS AND TESTIMONIALS

In the book he will partly discuss the scientific, substantiated side by not just the few HIV experts: among others,

• Prof. Dr. Linos Vandekerckhove - Head of THE HIV CURE RESEARCH CENTER of Ghent University.

•Dr. Hilde Straetemans - Laurenz's GP in Antwerp.

•Dr. Jelle Visser - attending infectious disease specialist at Laurenz in ITM Antwerp

PERSONAL TESTIMONIALS

but especially his own…

• personal experiences,

• conflicts

• psychological consequences

…share with you.  

He will do this by means of to show you diary stories, short films, photos, testimonials and anecdotes. Because Laurenz has never made it a secret that he lives with HIV, he will also reveal himself completely about all the unexpected and perhaps even heartbreaking choices he made after the diagnosis. Directly related to his mental and physical health…

Naturally, such a book comes with a price tag and that is why we are organizing this support campaign.  

We are looking for people who want to support Laurenz through a donation. It would be fantastic if he received many encouragements so that he could use this book to help people who are on the same path and “guide” them in their own quest. In the first instance, he hopes to be able to answer questions to which he could not find an answer himself or to which he hardly had to look for them himself in Medical Reference Works.

Can you help him bundle all this into an educational, informative and helpful book for everyone who has walked my path, who still has to walk after me, or simply for interested parties and sympathizers.

The topics he will address and discuss and testify about in the book include:

incorrect, misleading diagnoses, resulting in the virus being discovered even later.

additional CMV infection. HIV and CMV are called the “dangerous pas de deux”.

substance abuse

Self-mutilation

psychoses and psycho-dermatological problems that may be associated with HIV and its treatment & substance abuse

misunderstanding in professional life that today can still lead to dismissal and loss of income.

an admission to a psychiatric hospital.

condemnation of those close and distant, resulting in a world full of gossip, innuendo and fabrications, often even more exciting and amusing than a Prime Time TV program, but not really participating in your recovery.

Lau only noticed how little there is to be found about the human immunodeficiency virus in the literature and/or experience-related book landscape when you start to actively delve into it. This is despite the fact that it once was a pandemic with a greater number of deaths than the Corona pandemic.

Even his own assigned physicians (family doctor, dermatologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.) admit to having paid too little attention and time to this during their training, which led to frustration.

“Stigma, cover-up, taboo, discrimination and ignorance: Apparently it is still relevant today.”

→ Does this seem like an interesting topic to you? → Would you like to work on this with us?

!! Then your push, a donation no matter how small, is an enormous support to make Laurenz's dream of assisting and guiding fellow sufferers come true. You can make a difference and you will receive an honorable mention in the book, that's for sure!

Kind regards and thank you in advance for your time and possible support! ?

Lots of love, Lau Hoorelbeke

Salut!

Je m'appelle Laurenz, j'ai 35 ans et j'ai reçu un diagnostic de séropositivité l'été dernier.

Mon monde s'est effondré.

J'ai tout fait selon les règles. Je me suis toujours protégée et j'étais sous PreP (« la pilule »  pour éviter de contracter le VIH.)

"Vous êtes les 1% d'inefficacité de la PreP, monsieur, nous sommes désolés..."

Il est vite devenu évident qu’il y avait peu d’endroits où poser mes questions. Ni les professionnels de la santé, ni les bons homosexuels et hétérosexuels, ni quiconque autour de moi ne pouvaient répondre à mes questions pressantes, qui se multipliaient chaque jour.

J'ai été très surpris de constater à quel point l'ignorance qui existe encore autour du VIH et du SIDA, alimentée par la stigmatisation.

J'aimerais briser ce tabou en publiant mon histoire dans un livre et en sensibilisant les gens à l'impact possible et aux effets secondaires de cette maladie et de son traitement. Dans le livre, je discuterai en partie du côté scientifique, mais je partagerai également avec vous mes expériences personnelles et mes conflits. Je le ferai à travers des histoires, des vidéos, des journaux vidéo et des anecdotes que j'ai gardées pendant mes 6 mois sur les montagnes russes du VIH.

Bien entendu, un tel livre a un prix et c’est pourquoi j’organise cette campagne de soutien.

Parmi les visiteurs de cette plateforme, il y a probablement aussi un certain nombre de professionnels de la santé, ou de bons homosexuels (je peux dire cela parce que j'en suis moi-même un ?) qui, après avoir lu ceci, s'efforcent également d'approfondir leurs connaissances sur ce sujet.

M’aiderez-vous à regrouper tout cela dans un beau livre ? Il peut aussi être en partie un livre de bataille contre la stigmatisation, les tabous et la discrimination.

Les sujets que j'aborderai dans mon livre sont :

• des diagnostics incorrects et trompeurs.

• infection supplémentaire à CMV. Le VIH et le CMV sont appelés le « pas de deux dangereux ».

• psychoses et problèmes psycho-dermatologiques associés au VIH.

• un malentendu dans ma vie professionnelle qui a conduit à un licenciement et à une perte de revenus.

• admission en psychiatrie.

• les condamnations des amis et des parents, mais aussi des parents secrètement effrayés.

Vous ne remarquerez à quel point il y a peu de choses à trouver sur ce virus dans la littérature médicale et/ou dans les livres d’expériences que lorsque vous commencerez à vous y intéresser activement. Même s’il s’agissait autrefois d’une terrible pandémie avec un plus grand nombre de décès que la pandémie de Corona.

Mêmes mes médecins attitrés (médecin de famille, médecin traitant, dermatologue, psychologue, psychiatre, etc.) admettent y avoir accordé trop peu d'attention et de temps lors de leur formation ; frustration.

Dissimulation, tabous, discrimination et ignorance : apparemment, cela a toujours existé.

Cela vous semble-t-il un sujet intéressant à aborder avec moi ? Alors vous pourrez toujours me soutenir, et vous recevrez une mention honorable sur la première page, c'est sûr ! Cordialement et merci d'avance pour votre temps et votre éventuel soutien !

Laurenz Hoorelbeke