Rio’s Story

Hello, some of you may know me as Rio Revlon or Rio Garcon but you can call me Rio Stack. I am a 28 year old gay male originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina. I’ve been in the Navy for 9 years and I currently live in Virginia Beach. I love going out to places that I can drink for cheap, so the Cactus always wins, $20 and I’m done! If I’m not in Virginia, I can be found having a good time in Atlanta, Miami or New Orleans.

In April 2017, after random sexual hookups, people not telling the truth about their HIV status and my friend being diagnosed, I made the conscience decision to start taking PrEP.  For me, taking PrEP gives me a sense of security. It is self-defense against people who don’t care to protect me. But I really struggled with taking my medicine in the beginning. I hate taking medicine and I didn’t like some of the side effects of PrEP, like the insomnia, so I missed a few pills. But my mentor helped me overcome my barrier of not taking the pill. He sat me down and said “Rio, would you rather take a pill as a precaution or as a result of an action?” And when he said that all I could think about was my friend taking the pills as a result and I knew I didn’t want to be him. So since that conversation, I’ve been taking my pills as prescribed.

See more Role Model Stories and learn about LGBT Life Center’s Life 757 group for young black males between the ages of 16-29 that have sex with other men. This program is not concerned with what you label yourself as (gay, bi, DL,). LIFE is focused on helping young men who have sex with other men have safe and healthy relationships, and experience personal growth.

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