The stigma is real, but over time I've learned to love myself, I've started to seek out communities of people living with HIV and I've been relieved to know that I'm no longer alone.
Having navigated the challenges of living with HIV, I've experienced firsthand the stigma and misconceptions surrounding this virus.
My decision to openly share my HIV status at the age of 23 was not about seeking attention but about filling a critical gap in the conversation.
To observe National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (#NWGHAAD), we presented As We See It: Wisdom and the Unique Experiences of Women Born with HIV – an interactive session led by women who grew up living with HIV.
Given that we are in February, which is not only Black History month but also the month of LOVE, I felt compelled to share this message with y'all.
As everyone who already follows me knows, my perspective on contracting the virus is really different from someone who may not have been living with it for their entire lives. Being that I don't know a life without HIV, my perspective may be a bit unorthodox.
I have not known a life without HIV. In the era of U=U and PrEP, I feel myself navigating the stigma of HIV at an increased volume. The more people living with HIV attempt to escape the stigmas...
My 33rd birthday just passed on December 5th, 2019 and I have been doing a lot of reflecting.
When I was born April of 1985, there was no test, no way of treating it and very little information about what it was. All they knew was that HIV was a murderer.
I was 11 years old when my mother and sister finally told me my mom had AIDS, my father had AIDS and I was born HIV+.