battling stigma

When I finally understood that HIV is not an infectious contagious disease, I understood that I don't have to self-discriminate, I stopped seeing myself as a ticking timebomb, and began to befriend a...

I may never forget the night I got the email from Bruce Richman (founder and Executive Director of the Prevention Access Campaign U=U) asking if I would be interested in joining a campaign.

Cuando por fin entendí que el VIH no es una enfermedad infecto contagiosa entendí que no tengo porque auto-discriminarme, dejé de verme como una bomba de tiempo y empecé a amigarme con un virus que...

Getting tested. "So freeing."

I'm not changing who I am because of your fear. So last Sunday an article came out about HIV with a small portion about me with a picture. So read this, ok I choose to be a voice because of comments...

I think Eleanor Roosevelt said it best when she said this about confidence "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself I lived through the horror. I can take the next thing that comes along."

A door once closed to my past has reopened into my present. I remember the day vividly when he walked back into my life, this man was more than a friend to me. He was handsome, charming, and very desirable. His flaws and imperfections were never too big for the warmth my body and heart desired. His swag was boastful, smooth and powerful. I drowned in every word he spoke. I could not wait to reveal my body behind closed doors.

Me llamo Vicky. Soy peruana pero actualmente vivo en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Soy enfermera y madre de dos hijos, próximamente abuela a mis 34 años.

For most of my adult life I identified as a heterosexual woman. See, my family, community, and society told me I was supposed to like boys/men. After all, I was a girl, right? I was raised with the...

Days turn into months, months into a year, year into years of public humiliation. How could you? How could you open your mouth to say these things? Who gave you authority? Why me? These are just some...