Hated by many and loved by some, "Big Brother 8" winner "Evel Dick" Donato Wednesday revealed he has been HIV-positive since 2011.

Donato, 51, had kept the diagnosis under wraps for three years, but said he decided to reveal it on an episode of VH!'s "Couples therapy" airing Wednesday to increase public awareness that the disease still was around and difficult for patients in terms of suffering and medication cost. In the run-up to the episode, he also did interviews with several entertainment sites about the diagnosis and his decisions.

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Donato said drugs for treatment were extremely costly, ranging from $110 to $130 for a single pill. Each pill must be taken as prescribed or full-blown AIDS would result, he said. Treatment was wiping out his finances and he couldn't qualify for Medicaid because he wasn't destitute and was diagnosed before the advent of health care reform also known as Obamacare, he said.

The HIV diagnosis came during the all-star version of the show that was "Big Brother 13." Donato suddenly left the show after six days of shooting saying he had urgent personal reasons. He didn't say what they were at the time, but revealed Wednesday that "Big Brother" producers came to him during the show about two blood tests he took prior to entering the Big Brother House.

Producers told Donato in the house's private Diary Room that one of the blood tests came back positive for HIV. Donato said he just went numb after the news. CBS officials brought around a car that took him from the house to his mother's home, Donato said.

Now starring on "Couples Therapy," a VH-1 reality show devoted to repairing celebrity relationships, Donato said his biggest fear was telling girlfriend Stephanie Rogness-Fischer about the disease, followed by revealing it in public.

However, Donato added he finally decided to come clean about his condition to remind other people to get tested, only have safe sex and do what they need to do try to avoid catching the costly, and possibly deadly, disease.

TagsBig Brother, Evel Dick Donato, Couples Therapy, TV, CBS, reality TV, VH-1, julie chen, AIDS