Former Child Star Daniel Pintauro: "I'm HIV Positive"

Since 2003, Daniel Pintauro, the young star of the hit '80s sitcom Who's the Boss?, has been keeping a secret. Now, after much consideration, Daniel says he's ready to share his truth with Oprah. "I'm HIV positive," he says. "And I have been for 12 years."

Daniel says he was first diagnosed in March 2003 when he was living in New York City. "I went in for a regular checkup. You know, as a responsible gay man, you're getting an HIV test done every six months," he says. "And you sort of waited two weeks on pins and needles, or at least I did, because I was just terrified of the idea of getting HIV."

When Daniel received the news that he had tested positive, he says he had conflicting emotions. "There's this awful feeling of, 'I'm never going to be able to have a good relationship. No one's ever going to want me,'" he says. "[But] there was a sense of relief. ... It's backwards. You've spent so much time terrified that you're going to get it, and then you have it. You don't have to be terrified anymore."

In the above video, Daniel reveals why he decided to speak out about HIV now.