SM: You share quite a bit about your social life in your talks and blogs, particularly how open you are about your status to the men you date from the start. Why reveal your status from the get-go?
Marvelyn: If I don’t and wait until we’re about to have sex to tell him I am HIV positive, not only will I not be honest and open with him, but it’s like what if he tells me ‘no.’ Now I’ve developed feelings for the nut. I would have just messed myself up in two ways. I’m a Taurus, so I like communication too [laughs].

SM: How do you feel when men don’t want to date you because you’re HIV positive?
Marvelyn: It really doesn’t hurt because there’ll be no feelings there. I don’t let myself get there. If I don’t know you, then I don’t like you.

“I’m a very strong person, but I have my days where I break down and I don’t want to hear, ‘Marvelyn, I need you to be strong.’ I want to be able to have my ‘HIV moment.’ ”