motivation, faith, forgiveness

Ever since I was little I have LOVED talking. Being an effective communicator meant that I could get candy, hugs, and laughter. I have always valued this. Now as I’ve gotten older I realize that when...

My birthday month, November, had a great start by doing what I like most, giving my HIV activism a boost. Between 4-7 November I was in Istanbul for a face-to-face 'Skills Training to Empower Patients...

This month Akira, my youngest son of 13 years old, and I travelled to Antwerp for a filmshoot for the 'Undetectable equals Untransmittable' (U=U) campaign in Belgium. Whilst in the train towards...

Dear Destiny, We always make it through. I've dealt with some type of depression since I can remember. It was never anything I couldn't handle though. Then again I never had to handle it alone. I'm...

It's the beginning of fall now, the temperatures are beginning to get chilly and leaves are starting to change their hue. It's a season of change when we bid farewell to summer and all the good times...

One of the most powerful things a patient said to me was "Just because I hear you doesn't mean I understand what you're saying". His regimen was changing because he had some resistance and I was doing...

My name is Maria Mejia and this is my story with HIV! I kept my HIV diagnosis a secret from almost everyone for nearly 20 years. Diagnosed at 18 in 1991 and contracted HIV at the age of 15 in 1988, I...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be transgender? Living with HIV? In the rural South? Each of these issues alone can be challenging. Together, they are my reality—and it's crucial for...

[Content warning: multiple sudden deaths, including a stillbirth]​ I am traumatized! I have been living in fear and my heart is so full of anxiety for no particular reason! I don't even know where to begin. The past weeks have been a very challenging and traumatizing time for me and my family.

I can remember meeting you at Walgreens, teaching you to text. You were such a handsome mystery… You took to me. You took me in and showed me a love I would never have imagined existed. My heart...