activism, advocacy

I felt very bad. I lacked even tears to cry. I only said one thing, "Be strong, Caro." And that was when my journey started...

Hi all!! My name is Marie. I'm 49 years old and I was recently diagnosed with HIV... I look forward to supporting women everywhere!

Well, I made it to USCHA in Washington DC... I love coming to these conferences because they are so personally beneficial for me as an advocate.

I advocate for cure research with an open mind and open heart... Personally, I am free from the burden of needing a cure. It's a "nice-to-have", not a "need-to-have".

Sharing my stories and giving courage to others like me who can relate to some of my struggles and victories is a way I can give back to a community that has literally saved my life.

Me decían que lo que me mataría serían mis medicinas no el virus. Y sé, con certeza, que estaban equivocados... Cuando llegué a Estados Unidos en 2001, empecé tratamiento. Cuatro semanas después ya estaba indetectable.

They told me that my medication would kill me, not the virus. And I know for a fact they were wrong... When I came to the United States in 2001, I started treatment. Four weeks later, I was undetectable.

HIV criminalization is an amalgamation of a lot of things. It is ignorance overlaid with fear and underpinned by the need to exert power over the same people who are being feared.

It all seemed like talk – until it happened... Words could never do this journey justice. But I will try.

Living with HIV for over 20 years, Chanica has transformed her personal journey into a powerful platform rooted in service, storytelling, and systemic change.