Five people connected to Leicestershire Aids Support Services (LASS) have been recording personal and powerful insights into their lives.
BBC Leicester's Telling Lives project aims to create a digital archive of tales from people throughout the county. In three days 10 people from LASS learned to write and record their stories. Sang's story
 | | Sang is scared of telling her community |
"They thought I would cry and throw tantrums. But I came out laughing because my mum was sitting outside the clinic and I didn't have the guts to tell her. I cried all night." Forty-year-old Sang, who is HIV positive, is originally from East Africa but moved to Leicester four years ago. As a Hindu she says she finds it difficult to cope as she can't tell her own community. Sang's story is a message to the Asian Community in Leicester. She wants people to understand that living with HIV is not shameful but proves you are a real fighter. Theresa's story
 | | Theresa has to live with hepatitis C |
"I decided to become a blood donor. I received my little blue card and two weeks later a letter arrived. Throw your blood donor card and throw out any organ donation cards - you are hepatitis C positive." Theresa is a fairly new recruit for LASS and has only been volunteering at the centre for the last three months. Originally from Essex, Theresa moved to Leicester 10 years ago. Her story is about having hepatitis C. She has had to have a liver transplant and is on strong medication. Theresa says she hopes her story will encourage more people to find out about the virus. Georgina's story
 | | It took three days to record the stories |
"People look at me and see me happy and everything seems to be going all right for me. Some envy me and I look at them deep down in my heart and think - 'if only you knew!'. My life took a turn in 2003 when I tested HIV positive." Georgina is an asylum seeker from Zimbabwe who is trying to make Leicester her home. She says it is important people listen to her story because she feels the need to educate society about the virus and to raise awareness of her situation. Betty's story
 | | Betty has helped LASS for 20 years |
"Think how your child must feel having to stand in front of his or her parents to tell them about their sexuality - about being lesbian or gay. When our son came out it was a terrible shock - we felt very very frightened." Betty has been involved with LASS pretty much since the beginning and has volunteered there for almost 20 years. She is keen for issues around sexuality and HIV to be talked about more openly. Her Telling Lives story is about how personal events in her life led her to LASS. Dipesh's story
 | | Dipesh is a full-time carer for his mum |
"If it wasn't for LASS my family and I would still be rotting on the streets and my Mum would probably not be alive. So I pray and hope there is a silver lining to this cloud." Dipesh was just 17-years-old when he became a full time carer for his HIV positive mother. They have been supported by LASS for six years. Dipesh hopes his story will raise awareness of how HIV can impact on families as well as individuals. | 
