Sheen goes public with HIV diagnosis

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Charlie Sheen became infamous for a public meltdown four years ago, going on about having tiger blood. It turns out it is tainted blood, because at the same time, he received a HIV-positive diagnosis — meaning he has the virus that causes AIDS.

Sheen addressed rumours about his health in an interview on NBC’s Today show, declaring “I’m here to admit that I am HIV positive.”

The actor said he does not know how he contracted the virus, which was diagnosed in 2011. Since then Sheen says he’s paid people who’ve known about his HIV status millions of dollars to stay quiet, but when asked if he is still paying some of those people, he said: “Not after today, I’m not.”

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. But with proper treatment with anti-retro-viral drugs, it’s no longer considered an automatic death sentence. Sheen’s doctor Robert Huizenga says his treatment “suppressed the virus to the point that he is absolutely healthy from that vantage.”

Sheen says he hopes speaking out will help others. “It’s a hard three letters to absorb.. you know? It’s a turning point in one’s life.”

His doctors say Sheen has an “undetectable” level of HIV in his blood and does not have AIDS.

CHCH’s Adam Atkinson looks at how persons with HIV are treated today on the Evening News tonight at 6.