Meet Douglas Gubler

Doug Gubler contracted HIV in 1986, he was 26-years-old.
After giving blood to the Red Cross in Dixie College’s Institute building, Doug’s family received a certified letter. Doug was in Honolulu at the time so his mother opened the letter, and had to tell her son he had been infected with HIV.

Doug says surprised. “I think I’m going to out live my mother. For a long time I thought I would die first, but since I’ve been on the drug cocktails my health has improved so much.”

“In the fight against HIV new drugs, called protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, have brought hope to many infected persons. When combined with older drugs like AZT, these 'drug cocktails' are very effective in suppressing the amount of HIV virus in the body. However, new research suggests that even when suppressed to almost undetectable levels, the HIV virus remains in the body for a long time, perhaps even for life.”
About.com:Biology. “HIV for a Lifetime” [Online] 19 January 2009
http://biology.about.com/library/weekly/aa050699.htm.

Q: Do you know who infected you? How many sexual partners did you have until you contracted HIV?
A: Nine or ten. Yeah, I’m pretty sure. I was really drunk and someone forced themselves on me.

“That’s why I feel people need to know by getting drunk, getting stupid, getting drunk, gets you
infected.”

“Can you see what the HIV has done to my eyes?”

“Because HIV attacks the body's immune system, eye infections are common in people with the virus. Incidence of eye infection is high in people with T-cell counts of less than 250.”
CNIB. “What is HIV/AIDS?” [Online] 19 January 2009. http://www.classroom.com/community/connection/howto/citeresources.jhtml.

Q: How long did it take to have positive outlook on life?
A: I didn’t feel worthy to be Christ-like for a long time. I had to make amends with god and myself. I was 44-years-old before I could love myself.

Q: Are afraid to die?
A: Yes and no. The best way to describe it is as long as I continue to surround myself with good people and work with the youth to try to stop the spread of HIV, I’m happy. So I’m not scared because I have a purpose. Making amends with the man who created me has given me a place her at Dixie.

Q: What legacy do you want leave here at Dixie State?
Laughs. . .
A: To love one another. My goal is to spread the principle of equality of all kinds.

"Right now my ultimate goal is to stay healthy. Otherwise there’s no reason to go to school, I’ll be dead."