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#CharlieSheen #HIV #Stigma #Shame #Disclosure #Ignorance

Submitted on Nov 18, 2015 by  MariaHIVMejia

I feel very frustrated after everything I have been reading! I feel like I am preaching to the choir and our message is not being heard! We must act NOW and use this moment to educate and set the record straight! Come out of the HIV closet and let's humanize this condition.

#WearejusthumanbeingswiththeconditionofHIV

#Justavirus

#Nomorestigma #Nomoreshame

#Education is a must now!

#HIVhasnocolor

You know, I feel very freaking sad around all of this speculation with ‪#‎CharlieSheen‬ and his announcement! I am starting to see that most of the people that we talk about HIV with are people infected or directly affected in some way. After all the IGNORANT comments that I am seeing in social media and how people really talk about us ... people that are living with HIV!!! It HURTS ME! Yeah, I can play it off and put that fake face and fake attitude that nothing hurts me, and my skin is thick..most of the time I am tough and I don’t let anything get to me. But reality is that all of you HIV negative people that read this... understand that this is a human condition! HIV is not affecting only people in the sex field, gay men or those that inject IV drugs! I feel that we are back in the 80s! I feel like I am preaching to the choir!!! "The bug", "he is so disgusting", "that is nasty", "he is not clean," "are the wives AIDS infected", w"hat do you expect... he is with prostitutes or whores" etc. etc... HIV/AIDS does not discriminate! I have seen from a baby to an 80 year old grandmother with this Human condition called HIV!

I know more than ever that we have to reach mainstream media and DEMAND that they let me say the word condoms in school!!!! That kids have SEX education... but everything starts at home!!! Kids talk about what they hear!! We are slut shaming people and not even considering that maybe your f*cking family member, daughter, brother, best friend, cousin, aunt, ANYONE!!! is never going to tell you they have HIV because of your ignorance!! We are CLEAN! We just happen to have a condition that you get through sex (MOSTLY). We are ALL SEXUAL BEINGS!! Having HIV does not make you less than, unclean, unworthy, less beautiful, a whore, etc. etc. So PLEASE, let's be mindful of what we say and always remember there may be someone living with HIV with shame! SHAME because of people like these that I am describing!!!!! Closeted and maybe even not taking medication and dying a slow death because they are too afraid they will be outed or shamed!!!! SO afraid because of the stigma this virus has!

We really have not reached people as we should. We talk about HIV 24/7 to people that are for the same cause! We have to go and talk about HIV where it is not talked about and bring it up...even if people do not want to talk about it. We need a change! People have to understand that they are very ignorant about HIV. The same stigma exists. The lack of understanding that HIV is everywhere and it just takes one time of unprotected sex to get this condition.

I have always said the truth. HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence but it is a life sentence!!!! AIDS is a bitch and that will never change... and I will always say that until the day I die. But having HIV is not the end of the world either. If you take your medicine you will live a long life! We have ways to prevent HIV... and you can be in love with someone that has HIV and you will be ok as long as the two people are responsible!

I don’t know... I am just very frustrated and I just hope that this event with #CharlieSheen brings talk and awareness and we can really go in there and get this society and EDUCATE THEM!

Love and light.

‪#‎MariaMejia‬

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