So, in my story, my main character is sexually abused (more specifically, raped. Only on one occasion though), and I have two endings in mind. I'm really town between the two though, because they'd both be really, really good. 1.) The happy, sweet resolution everyone loves and hopes for 2.) He gets HIV, and dies from it 9 years after he was abused. In this case, there would be more of a bittersweet ending. Either one would be really good, but I'm wondering if my second ending idea is too morbid, because the main character is the one everyone falls in love with. I also wanted to have other opinions on this before I make a decision. Thank you in advance
Well, ignoring preferences, if this is modern day isn't that pretty fast to die from HIV? I remember reading recently that if Freddie Mercury had lived one more year, until more progress had been made on treatment, he'd likely still be alive today.
Unless this is a sort of "patient zero" story, or an alternative history, that's too early for HIV/AIDS. If your story is in the US, the late 1970s is as early as would be realistic.
This being such a short thread I was able to read it quickly (for me) and It looks to me that something I should do more of has been neglected. Research! If you go with the second stream you need to research the illness more before you decide on a timeline, and then research that period so you get things in that time correct as well. However, aside from being able to give some small advice, it does tell me that I need to make a post asking for advice on overcoming my writing problems. Maybe I'll see both of you there. With interest and thanks, The dawg
The first identified HiV/aids cases were in 1959 - and it didn't spread to the western hemisphere until 1971 For a story set in 1940s you could use syphilis although even there the increasing availability of antibiotics after the war caused a significant decline on syphilis deaths. Another option would be that you start a happy ending but then he dies from something unrelated to the abuse in a sort of cruelty of fate vibe - TB, Polio, road acident etc
I did my research and stuff and I know when the first case was identified, but it's not like the virus just happily appeared then, y'know? It had to have been around. In my story I wouldn't say it's HIV, because the term didn't exist, but he would have all the symptoms and eventually die. It may not be 9 years like I initially said, but he'd die from it,
HIV1 originated in leopoldville, Belgian congo arround 1915, having mutated from SIV (in monkeys) and been transmitted to humans, the HIV2 strain was transmitted to humans from the sooty mangabey in siera leone in the mid 30s the first human to human transmission occurred in 1959 in Africa whilst the first record death from human to human transmission outside of africa occured in 1969 so in essence unless your story takes place in Sierra Leone, Uganda or the Belgian Congo, the virus wasn't 'around' and it won't make for a credible ending
