Steven Raul Campa Is #20 of Our Most Amazing HIV+ People of 2018

Waking each day is an accomplishment, says Steven Raul Campa, a poz 23-year-old HIV tester and counselor for APLA. Campa also attends California State University, Long Beach, working toward a degree in public health, and he’s currently training for the 2018 AIDS/Lifecycle.

Campa says he’s proud to be “a young HIV-positive Latino man who is unafraid to speak out against the HIV-related stigmas and stereotypes that still circulate throughout the community. Within my peer network, there are few who are comfortable enough to be transparent. I do so because they need a voice. They need representation. They need people to know that it is not okay to shame individuals based upon a diagnosis.”

Campa, who learned he was poz in 2014, never set out to be a “spokesperson for HIV,” but he’s realized  that just being out and proud as a poz Latino man combats HIV stigma.

“Being an HIV activist is not something I merely do from 9 to 5. It is who I am and a huge part of my life’s purpose. That being said, a challenge for me is finding time to escape and breathe. I feel like I’m always working [to educate] friends, family, and those within the community. I love what I do, but I also understand the importance of self-care and do what I can to incorporate that into my life.”

Being recognized for that work, “is humbling,” says Campa. “To be selected is definitely affirming and I do not take it lightly. I am beyond appreciative.”

The youngest activist on this year’s list, Campa hopes “to achieve a place at tables and within planning bodies that will further my voice. I believe that my presence is necessary for not only my peer group, but the communities I represent.” And once he gets there? “I will not exit until a visible change has occurred. One that has shifted the tide on how HIV prevention and education is disseminated to marginalized communities.”