Shawn Decker - The Rebel Returns

Infected with HIV as a child through the contaminated blood products used to treat his hemophilia, Shawn learned early in life about discrimination. Within a month of testing positive for the virus, he was kicked out of the 6th grade. By all accounts, he wasn’t expected to live five years. After beating the odds and graduating from high school, Shawn opened up about his life, creating one of the first “poz blogs” in 1996 describing his life as a then twenty-year old dating with HIV. He penned a column for Poz Magazine, entitled “Positoid”, and his first book, My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure, was published by the Penguin Group in 2006. He tours the United States with his wife partner, Gwenn Barringer, discussing sexual health and HIV issues and also fronts his band, Synthetic Division, giving out ONE Condoms at their live shows.