Gemotions

It had started with a simple blood test. But the results were anything but simple. The record included a positive HIV test. Sarah, who had come in for a routine checkup, felt the blood drain from her face.

The correction was quickly made, the error acknowledged, the apologies offered. But the feeling of utter violation remained. She felt as though the error had ripped away her privacy.

The world seemed to shrink around her. She found herself avoiding public places, fearing looks, fearing whispers. She even stopped answering the phone, afraid of what people might say.