World Aids Day: Live inspired — Celebs living with HIV and AIDS

There is a lot of stigma associated with HIV and AIDS, with most people actually hiding their HIV status for fear of being discriminated. But over the decades, there have been several public figures who have not only come out into public, but also managed to live a long life despite the life-threatening disease. Here are 10 of them.

Most recently, Actor Charlie Sheen went public about his HIV-positive status in November 2015, bringing about much focus on understanding the disease as opposed to stereotyping against it. (Text source: Stars.topix.com; Image: Fanpop.com)

In 1991, NBA superstar Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV positive, and has since then become an outstanding advocate of safe sex and for others living with HIV. At a time when HIV is much misunderstood, his courageous announcement of his HIV status helped to end the widespread stereotype that HIV was a "gay disease". (Source: Youtube)

Gold medal-winner in diving, Greg Louganis was diagnosed with HIV in 1988. He won Olympic gold medals in both the springboard and tower diving events in Seoul in 1988, six months after his HIV diagnosis. He's considered one of the greatest Olympic divers of all time. (Source: Pinterest, Louganisdoc.com)

Fashion designer Viktor Luna came out as HIV positive for seven years on Project Runway in 2013. He came out into the public accepting that he also subscribed to the stigma that's usually associated with the disease, but now actively works towards spreading knowledge about it. (Source: Madlychic.com)

Olympian Rudy Galindo -- the US figure skating champion in 1996 and the World Junior Champion in 1997 -- revealed that he was HIV positive in 2000. (Source: Lgbthistorymonth, Youtube)

Broadway composer Jerry Herman was diagnosed with HIV as early as 1985. He is one of the rare cases who has survived early diagnosis. In 2009, Herman received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, and as of 2015, he's still going strong at 84. (Source: Music,miami.edu, Waytofamous.com)

Erasure frontman Andy Bell has been HIV positive since 1998, and publicised his status in 2004. He has numerous charity recordings to raise money for AIDS and HIV research. (Source: Youtube)

Journalist Andrew Sullivan, author of the popular political blog the Daily Dish, has been public about his HIV positive status since at least 2001. For many years he was denied US citizenship because of his diagnosis. (Source: Youtube)

Chris Smith, a high-profile British politician, was the first Member of Parliament to acknowledge he was HIV positive, in 2005. He was also one of the first UK politicians to come out as gay, in 1984. (Source: Mediacentre.kallaway.co.uk)

Journalist Dave Brindle was Canada's first major TV personality to come out as HIV positive. He's well known as the anchor of anchor for CBC Newsworld. (Source: Twitter)