World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1st each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services. Started on Dec 1st 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice, fighting stigma and improving education. World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done. PEOPLE ARE STILL...
MariaHIVMejia's blog
(Fear, Strength, Positive Thinking, Conversations with your specialist) WELL, my latest lab work showed that my ALT and AST levels are a little up! This has to do with my liver enzymes. When I received the news and read my lab work and saw that my enzymes were up, I freaked out! I mean I really got unbalanced and very anxious and nervous! We, as HIV positive people, always have to go through this every time we get our blood work done! I have been through this for 20 years and as the years pass and more of the meds are in our system, actually it is a scarier feeling for me! One of the things...
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1082","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"100","height":"150","title":"Maria_new2","alt":""}}]](Dr Albert Canas applies Sculptra in my face) Yes , many people are very afraid to start their HIV medications because of lipoatrophy or lipodistrophy (fat loss or gaining fat in some areas). Well there are many options now. One of the most important parts of a person's body is their face. This is like the cover of a magazine, and how we represent ourselves! Many people...
This article is cross-posted from TheBody.com's Resource Center on Starting HIV Treatment. I've been HIV positive for 20 years, 10 of them without any HIV meds; and for the last 10 years I have been on HIV medication. If I could go back 20 years, I wouldn't change a thing. I really believe (and this is only my opinion) that not taking the high dosages of AZT (Retrovir, zidovudine) that were offered 20 years ago saved my life. Not everyone should wait this long to get on meds. All bodies are different. My T-cell count went down to a dangerous 39; that is when I said "It is time." I always...
YES! Not everyone is an activist! And we must respect this...not all people are prepared to come out of their HIV closet because others want them too! They are not less than anyone..many of them are still dealing with the shame that comes with the illness. Or they are trying to protect their family members.... especially when there is so much ignorance and stigma with HIV/AIDS.We have to respect other peoples' choices and views! We are their role models ...so if we have it in us to be activists and advocate, let us do that for those that don't feel prepared or ready yet! Or maybe they will...
I want to be the voices of those that have been discriminated for living with HIV/AIDS or for supporting us! There are stories of people from all over the world that wrote me in my international group for people with HIV/AIDS, and the people who loves us on Facebook!! The stories moved me and I had to tell them! It is very sad most of the discrimination and stigma comes from our own families and loved ones! WE MUST END STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION! 30 years with HIV/AIDS and the stigma is stronger than ever! HATE! IGNORANCE! How do we fight them??? With EDUCATION! I really believe that by telling...
The big part your Doctor plays in your life! It's like a marriage...if there is no communication or respect , there will be a divorce! or a person being less adherent to your hiv medications..I tried to tell them how we feel as patients! We have to be proactive with out illness. Ask for tests, even if your doc does not ask for it! Like vitamin D! I was vitamin D deficient and I didn't know...and if I would have never asked, I would not have known! We have to respect our doctors and they should encourage their patients to research and investigate. I am the one that decided to stop taking...
I want to start by saying I am not a doctor or a scientist! I speak from my own experience as many of you know! I have been positive for 20 years, and I decided not to be on medication for the first 10 years and talk about it in my vblog...for ten years I did everything I could to be off meds! Everything holistic you can think of! We have to realize that everyone has their moment when they make the choice to go on meds…Your body will feel it! I wouldn’t dare tell someone to get off medication as some of this movement of dissidents/denialists tell people! Not only do they tell people this...
I remember my first memory at the age of three, unlike some children that have wonderful memories of their childhood mine was a very traumatic one! I was molested by a family member at such a young age...It is hard to open up about this, because it has impacted my life in so many ways..I was a baby..no one is supposed to hurt a child! And the damage stays with you forever! [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-medium wp-image-790","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"148","height":"300","title":"maria_child","alt":""}}]...