Bisi Alimi, an LGBTQ activist, has been living with HIV for 18 years.

The 47-year-old, who was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 29, used his social media page to both celebrate and inspire those who may be dealing with the disease.

According to him, he kept his HIV status secret for the first five years before realizing that stigma, shame, and discrimination from society kill people faster.

In his words, "I walked into a testing booth for the first time eighteen years ago, at the National AIDS conference in Abuja, and with nudging from friends."

I walked out with an HIV positive test result. Two years before that, I had just lost my best friend to AIDS, and he was around 26 years old.

I have been living with HIV since I was 29. This year I turned 47.

Between 2004 and 2009, I kept quiet about my HIV status because of shame and stigma.

Then I realised that HIV doesn’t kill; it is stigma, shame and discrimination that do.

Here's to 18 years of positivity and many more years to come.

Please get tested today.