A secret diagnosis could have torn us apart, but it brought us together

Key points

• Vinko Anthony and Andrea Zara met on a beach in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 2010, while both were in other relationships. They kept in touch by email, exchanging 2,743 messages in three months, before meeting again in Italy.
• In 2011 they registered their relationship in Sydney. Vinko had been living with HIV for years but kept his diagnosis from Andrea for five years.
• When Andrea found medication in the bathroom and confronted him, the pair worked through the news together. They now run a matchmaking service for gay men.