Jonathan Van Ness reveals he's HIV-positive, opens up about past sexual abuse in memoir

You know Jonathan Van Ness (or "JVN") as the sassiest, silliest groomer on Netflix's "Queer Eye." After you read his memoir "Over the Top" (HarperOne) out Sept. 24, you're going to appreciate and understand his gutsy glam even more. 

"Over the Top" is full of anecdotes, detailing everything from romantic relationship struggles to the death of his stepfather to skating on ice with Olympian Michelle Kwan.

But there are two key elements to Van Ness' life that stand out the most.

Van Ness reveals he's HIV-positive

"At the beginning (of 'Queer Eye') I was really kind of nervous to talk about my HIV status and not sure if I wanted to and how I wanted to," Van Ness tells USA TODAY. "And as I’ve continued to experience the world as I always have, it just became more clear to me that I wanted to be totally open with my story and be able to talk about it especially in the face of (the Trump) administration."

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Van Ness feels it's more important than ever to speak about these issues because it disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community.

Though the Trump administration has indeed supported grants to help end the HIV epidemic, it's been criticized by LGBTQ advocates for failing to meaningfully protect the community. 

The Trump administration included $291 million in its annual budget for efforts to end the U.S. HIV epidemic. However, HIV experts pointed out other points in the budget could be detrimental to curbing the spread of the virus around the world, specifically citing a $1.35 billion cut in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, according to Kaiser Health News.

Gay and bisexual men are most affected by HIV, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures. They made up for 66% (25,748) of total HIV diagnoses in the U.S. and 82% of diagnoses in men.

Van Ness uses the memoir as an opportunity to educate people on what having HIV means, what it's like to date and how you're treated in the U.S. and across the world. For starters: Once he went on an antiretroviral prescription, he was undetectable in two weeks.

"People who achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner," Van Ness writes (and the CDC agrees).

Van Ness details sexual abuse and addiction

For the first time publicly, the former "Gay of Thrones" host opens up about being sexually abused at a young age at church.

"There was an older boy who taught me to play a game called 'Doctor,'" Van Ness writes. "I would usually end up in a closet missing some of my clothes and not quite sure of exactly what happened – but I felt a heartbeat that I wasn't used to feeling in my chest, and a nauseating excitement inside that left me feeling a shame that I'd never experienced before." The trauma from this abuse would follow him into adulthood and land him in rehab for both sex and drug addiction.

When it comes to his addiction recovery, he says he feels he was able to do work around his underlying issues and that he no longer takes his trauma and puts it against himself like he used to. "I just feel like I have a very integrated and healthy sex life and my relationship to weed is gorgeous. And I don’t do drugs that aren’t weed," he says (save for a "gorgeous little sippy-sip of alcohol" occasionally).

"I feel really good about where I am in my life," he says.

What does JVN do for self-care?

He meditates in the mornings and enjoys figure skating and gymnastics – the latter of which he did when he was a child. Van Ness' Instagram is full of his progress. He alsoenjoys quiet time with his cats, family and friends. Van Ness is currently in therapy. 

Given all his athletics: Does he want to compete in the Olympics? Maybe the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing?

One can dream. He'd like to go as a spectator or to carry bags for Team USA, noting he doesn't "want to be delusional" when it comes to competing himself.

Van Ness also has his hands full between this book, "Queer Eye" ("I certainly want to do it as long as they'll have me," he says), his "Getting Curious" podcast and his stand-up comedy.

He also intends on campaigning for one of the 2020 candidates, though remained coy about any kind of endorsement (he ultimately endorsed Democratic candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts on Sept. 25 on Twitter). But as "Over the Top" shows, Van Ness will know when he's ready to tell his story. 

In other 'Queer Eye' books news:'Queer Eye's' Karamo Brown talks new memoir, Ariana Grande obsession and political ambitions

And another:'Queer Eye' star Tan France talks new memoir, Tina Fey and the French tuck (of course)

And, well, another:'Queer Eye' host Antoni Porowski dishes (get it?) on new cookbook, love and Taylor Swift