Hello, my name is Samantha Rose Montemayor Morales. I am a Proud Trans Latina Woman of Color who has been living with HIV since June 28, 2010. How has my culture impacted my experience with HIV? When I was told I was HIV positive, I lived my life as a gay male. They told my family and friends about my status before they told me. I remember I was in a hospital bed, when I opened my eyes and a good friend of mine told me, "Hey, they told us you're HIV+." I remember telling her, "You're crazy." After she told me, my father and oldest brother walked in and the doctor after them. He got to my bedside and said, "You're HIV+." I remember tears falling and I said, "OK, what is next? What are the next steps?"
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