Nigerian gay rights activist, public speaker, blog writer and HIV/LGBT advocate, Bisi Alimi, has opened up on his battle with Human Immune Virus (HIV) as he celebrates his 47th year birthday and 18 years of living with the virus.

According to the rights activist, he realized HIV doesn’t kill, rather it is the stigma, shame, and discrimination that kill those with the virus.

Bisi who shared a post on his verified Instagram page on Wednesday revealed that he contracted the virus when he was 29 years old.

He said “Eighteen years ago, at the National AIDS conference in Abuja and with nudging from friends, I walked into a testing booth for the first time.

I walked out with HIV positive test result. Two years before then, I had just lost my best friend to AIDS, and he was around 26yrs.

“I have been living with HIV since I was 29, this year I clocked 47.

“Between 2004-2009, I kept quiet about my HIV status cos of shame and stigma.

Then I realised, HIV doesn’t kill, it is stigma, the shame and the discrimination that does.

“Here is to 18yrs of positivity and many more years to come. Please get tested today.”