Interested in having Shawn and Gwenn speak? Be sure to fill out a contact form on the Contact page! 

Shortly after the young HIV educators started dating, their friends encouraged Shawn and Gwenn to speak out as a couple. Over the last two+ decades, they have done just that by sharing their love story at hundreds of colleges and universities and health conferences in addition to international media sources. With humor and candor, Shawn and Gwenn utilize their relationship as a platform to educate others about the healthiest way to handle multiple medical conditions. 

Born with hemophilia, Shawn contracted HIV as a child via tainted blood products. He was kicked out of the 6th grade after testing positive. Throughout high school, the grim reaper felt like a third wheel as Shawn navigated dating during a time when effective treatments for HIV were not yet available. Thankfully, he outlived his initial prognosis and was even crowned Homecoming King his senior year of high school.

At age 20, Shawn opened up about HIV and became one of the internet’s first bloggers in 1996. His website attracted a worldwide audience and was soon being shared in a POZ Magazine cover story, on MTV News as well as the Jenny Jones Show. He was even invited to The White House on World AIDS Day.

More importantly, Shawn’s writing and advocacy is what led to him meeting Gwenn by chance at a talk given by Ryan White’s mother, Jeanne. A fellow HIV educator, Gwenn studied the issue in college and volunteered for the local AIDS Service Organization. 

The two quickly fell in love and decided to shine a light on the inner-workings of their loving, healthy relationship that just so happens to include HIV. 

For over two decades, Shawn and Gwenn have welcomed audiences to tune in to their journey and their educational scope has only broadened by the lived experiences they’ve shared. 

From the early days of their sexual health education to how aging with multiple medical conditions has required more focus- and heart- one thing remains the same: Shawn and Gwenn approach each opportunity to reach people with warmth, inclusivity, openness and a personal connection that is unforgettable.

If your company, organization, student group or book club have an event or audience that could benefit from hearing Shawn and Gwenn’s story, contact them today.

Some of the places where Shawn and Gwenn have shared their story:

The University of Virginia

Yale

Sarah Lawrence College

Sacred Heart University

Hillsborough Community College

The University of Northern Iowa

Bucknell University

Virginia Tech

The University of California Riverside

SUNY Fredonia

The Ohio State University

The University of Rhode Island

The University of Maryland