Senator Stacey Campfield (Tennessee)

I recently read the below article describing Tennessee Senator Stacey Campfield comments regarding HIV.

http://www.thebody.com/content/65600/tennessee-senator-its-virtually-impossible-for-het.html?ic=7001

I was so disturbed by his comments that I chose to write the following email:

Dear Senator:

While I am not a constituent of your state, I felt compelled to email you upon reading your comments which were posted on www.thebody.com.

It is people like yourself that help spread the ignorance and intolerance of HIV.  I, like yourself, believed much of what you said in relation to risk.  However, I have since learned otherwise of my ill-conceived notions.

I am a heterosexual woman, have not been promiscuous and have never participated in IV drug use.  I was raised in a middle-class, Republican home with strong Christian beliefs.  I left my small hometown and ventured onto college, earning three college degrees.  I began a career (in state government, might I add), married and became pregnant.  During routine blood work related to my pregnancy, I was found to be HIV positive.

I was shocked to learn of my diagnosis, I had the classic American upbringing.  I was a "good girl."  Yet...it still happened to me.  It is people like yourself  that continue to breed ignorance of risk..  All people, regardless of sexuality, are at risk for HIV by participating in sex.  I only wish that I had learned sooner rather than later.

I hope that as a public figure, that of which people respect and admire, you can find the words to apologize for your comments.