
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
After two decades of living with HIV, Terry Delonas found himself smuggling a cushion into the board meetings he attended for the various AIDS service organizations with which he worked. One of the side effects of his 20 years' worth of medication was severe lipoatrophy'loss of fat tissue'in the thighs and buttocks, which made sitting down for long stretches extremely painful, even in the nicest chairs. If only there was a cushion you could wear, he thought. When a search turned up no such product, Delonas decided to create his own. The result was SitRelief Shorts, a medically designed pair of padded underwear that combines a comfortable polyester and spandex short with highly resilient foam. Featuring tapered pads with infinity edges on all sides (ensuring that there is no telltale bulge where the pad begins and ends), the cushioning goes from the waistband all the way down to the mid-thigh. The smart, realistic design provided an added benefit, which Delonas says came out in the clinical trials. Not only did the shorts allow for a discreet relief from the HIVers' suffering, it also made them feel better on the inside. The added contour and shape made people's pants fit better, which made them less self-conscious about their wasting appearance. For the trials, Delonas sought the help of four local HIV doctors, who enrolled 40 patients of various ages, all of whom were experiencing either mild, moderate, or severe lipoatrophy in the buttocks and thighs. The results were astounding: The average patient went from an ability to sit for 12 minutes without the shorts to a vastly improved 187 minutes with them. The doctors were just as enthusiastic as the patients, saying the shorts prevented the fragile tissue and veins in the legs and buttocks from being crushed while protecting the patient's bones. And by allowing people to go to movies or to classes or seminars, the product greatly improved their quality of life. To date, LipoWear, Delonas's year-old Orange County, Calif.-based company, has sold about 1,000 pairs of SitRelief shorts, which come in six sizes for men and five for women. While Delonas says his biggest obstacle is the fact that the people who need his product the most are often the ones least able to afford it, his goal is to get Medicare approval so patients can get them by prescription. Meanwhile, his greatest rewards are the amazing letters he receives from grateful customers. 'People say this has really changed their lives. And as a daily user, I can underscore that. It has changed mine as well.' LipoWear.com
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic
May 02 2025 5:36 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Trump admin guts $258 million in funding for HIV vaccine research
June 03 2025 3:47 PM
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
Decades of progress, uniting to fight HIV/AIDS
December 01 2024 12:30 PM
Hollywood must do better on HIV representation
December 01 2024 9:00 AM
Climate change is disrupting access to HIV treatment
November 25 2024 11:05 AM
California confirms first case of even more deadly mpox strain
November 18 2024 3:02 PM