Thirty years ago today I was handed a death sentence. At least that is what an HIV diagnosis meant in 1988. In fact, it meant so much more than just death. It meant shame. It meant stigma. It meant judgement and isolation.
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WRI 2018 contextualized the Undetectable = Untransmittable campaign in the lives of women living with and vulnerable to HIV addressing issues including relationships, sexuality, poverty/access to treatment, attention to health and well-being, and stigma.
Growing up in a small rural North Carolina town, I grew up listening to artists like Sam Cooke. The lyrics from one of his songs describe the hope that my advocacy work is a contribution to change. “Like the river I’ve been running ever since”...
The Well Project interviews Community Advisory Board member Masonia Traylor for our "Spotlight: Women Making a Difference" series.
The current conditions create a safe place to get to know what makes me tick, happy, passionate... I have told more of my close friends on a one on one face to face talk that I live with HIV. I am owning my truth and I hope they will stay in my life...
I hesitate to write, numb and joy are my feelings. The day started with fresh air, coffee and a walk at 630am. Since, I have had three completely different conversations where we discussed Long term survivor's day and how thinking back affects our...
I first heard the Undetectable equals Untransmittable message in 2016 and it changed everything about how I felt about myself. I was diagnosed in June of 2000 so that’s 16 years of living in the dark; for 16 years I felt like and saw myself as a...
To read in Spanish, click here / Para leer en español, presione aquí I am very grateful for the Building HOPE program of The Well Project. Since working together, we not only presented at this Summit (in Myrtle Beach South Carolina) last month, we...
Para leer en inglés, presione aquí / To read in English, click here Estoy muy agradecida por el programa Building HOPE de The Well Project. Desde que trabajamos juntas, no solo presentamos en esta Cumbre (en Myrtle Beach, Carolina del Sur) el mes...
My year has been full of changes. I am willing to learn from mistakes; rebuilding can be fun. Today I awake to my granddaughter (12) and my mom. Mom cooks the best; we are having hash omelettes. Yum. I had a day yesterday. I was stressing over...
I felt so alone for so long. I mean it was only for about a year. I met this one lady at my first doctor's appointment and I still felt alone.
Living for so many years with HIV I often reflect on things in the past and how I dealt with the many challenges that have come my way. Today I'm thinking about how grateful I am to have been able to go back to work part time. I remember in 1992, at...
Living with an HIV diagnosis today is quite different than it was just a few decades ago.
Long Term Survivor day is coming up soon, a day when we celebrate the longevity, the courage, the strength and especially the wisdom of those who have lived with the disease for many years, through the days of lesser knowledge and fewer HIV meds...
Hello, it's been a minute since I wrote a blog. I am reminded of Long Term Survivors Day as it approaches. I was diagnosed in 1997. I suspected until yesterday I was given this condition through a sex partner as a teenager. My first boyfriend died of...