By Anonymous One year ago I left my country and flew a thousand miles all the way to Washington DC to go to the International AIDS conference. It was an unforgettable experience and one that I will cherish for it opened my eyes to new faces of HIV. I returned from the conference a few days later all excited but unfortunately this was not to last long. That very week a friend I had been seeing tested positive for HIV. And yes, I believe I infected him! I know many may be wondering how? Why? With all the information that I had; how come? Many may say I could have avoided it. Maybe yes! And maybe...
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Tiffany posted a new blog If someone shows you… on A Girl Like Me’s “Voices from our Allies” page: There is this great quote by Maya Angelou, “If someone shows you who they are. Believe them.” The funny thing is every time I hear the quote being used often the person is remarking how someone has shown a negative side of themselves. I have had the pleasure over the last year getting to see someone and I do believe them. They are brilliant, passionate, and funny. They have been an inspiration to me and a reminder of who I once was, still am, and could be. It is sometimes very easy to habitually...
As you may know, when The Well Project was founded in 2002, it became the first resource of its kind - providing desperately needed information about HIV and women. Much has evolved since 2002 in both technology and the HIV epidemic, but what hasn't changed is our commitment to make our resources as useful as possible for our visitors. We are about to undertake a significant upgrade to our website (including both a technical platform improvement and a redesign of the web portal) and are using it as an opportunity to reach out to you for feedback on what changes and improvements you'd like to...
To honor the amazing leadership, advocacy and work of The Well Project Founder (and first A Girl Like Me blogger), Dawn Averitt, we would like to share this note from her brother and Co-Founder, Richard Averitt. "Today is the celebration of my sister's 25th year since her diagnosis with HIV/AIDS. In that time, she has grown from a young woman who didn't expect to see her 25th birthday to a force of nature who has truly, directly and personally impacted the lives of millions. There are women alive today who made it out of the darkness and survived because of Dawn. There are women who had...
Sonya posted a new blog Infected/Affected, Who Cares? on A Girl Like Me’s “Voices from our Allies” page: Someone once stated “only people who are HIV + can understand HIV”, and I so beg to differ. As a person who is negative and gets tested on a regular basis and has been doing HIV activism since the 1980’s, understanding whether we are infected or affected HIV/AIDS affects us all. So, are you saying to me that there is no way watching my good friend intentionally spread the disease, hate the world, and curse me and God/Die, had no effect on me? Are you saying to me when I didn’t know where my...
Register now for The Well Project's very first international A Girl Like Me conference call/web chat on Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 10:00 am ET in honor of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD). The call/web chat is a great opportunity to ask questions of some of your favorite bloggers who are a source of support to women around the world. Featured bloggers will include: Angela Krebs (Indianapolis, IN, USA) Bose Olutu (Lagos, Nigeria) Connie Johnson (GoldyLyfe) (Chicago, IL, USA) Dawn Averitt, Founder of The Well Project (Charlottesville, VA, USA) Devarah (Dee) Borrego...
Dear friends, Today we sent out an e-newsletter for Valentine's Day that was in part inspired by stories we read on A Girl Like Me, as well as comments we hear from women living with HIV around the world about the lack of information focusing on sexuality. Below is the introduction from the newsletter along with a link to our new article "Getting Your Sexy On!". We hope you enjoy reading it and hope your day is filled with much self-love and fun! To read about blogger Mandy Webb's art piece "Sexy Quilt" shown here (made out of over 700 out-of-date condoms), please click here. On this annual...
Tiffany posted a new blog When a hero has no answers on A Girl Like Me’s “Voices from our Allies” page: I just attended a screening of the Oscar nominated documentary, “ How to Survive A Plague.” ***Spoiler alert I went into the screening fully expecting to be pissed that it was not a complete representation of the AIDS movement in America.***= I was not disappointed! It wasn’t, the film depicted an important time in the epidemic from the perspective of one maybe two groups (ACT UP NYC and TAG). It left you seeing the epidemic from a gay white male perspective. But, I was also surprised! The...
In observance of World AIDS Day 2012, we asked A Girl Like Me bloggers, "What is the one thing about HIV that you’ve learned or experienced this year that has made a difference in your life and would like to share with others?” Here are some of their responses: Bee2art: For me personally, I have more hope. Hope that one of the drugs I'm taking (Truvada) has been found to help reduce transmission of the disease. Hope that from everything I've learned in the past six months from my Doctor and research that a cure may be found within fourteen years (my Docs opinion, and she's a research doctor)...
Sonya posted a new blog Remove Your Mask on A Girl Like Me’s “Voices from our Allies” page: ½ of my LIFE, I’ve lived behind a MASK…for a MAN. I hid my true self, true feelings & true sexual desires. I neglected my wants and gave into the desires of my flesh…For a Man! ½ of my LIFE, I’ve lived behind a MASK…not wanting to expose my deep aches & pains, my brokenness and hid behind broken smiles, ½ hugs, kind words, so I wouldn’t couldn’t feel any pain. ½ of my LIFE, I’ve lived behind this MASK…as a Mother, Wife, and Woman. Feeling like my dreams dried up like a raisin in the sun, imprisoned, and...