Nineteen years ago, I never imagined that I would one day have the strength to speak openly about my status in a leading HIV magazine. But here I am.
When diagnosed, a person confides in me and trusts my guidance and love. I kill stigma one day, one person at a time. Doors are opening and I feel alive.
I no longer have the hatred I used to have for my friend, but I still have that trauma from before, and when I think back to that time, I cry.
It felt like a warm blanket, comforting me in moments of loneliness, sadness, depression, and anxiety. When the weight of my emotions became unbearable, alcohol was there to dull the edges.
If you truly hear my message, please share it, find any way you can to resist and fight back, fight for me, because when they're done with me and my community, they'll come for you and yours.
It was from the second class that I really understood that I am HIV-positive. Since then, nothing was the same as before.
Let's support local HIV action to continue bringing positive changes to our HIV communities!
If I can be such an inspiration to others, I must treat myself with the same love I freely give...
HIV had kept me locked in fear for over a decade, constantly worrying about stigma and judgement. But I reminded myself of everything I had learned through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness: Stay present.
Learn about harmful effects of stigma and discrimination and read inspiring stories of women living with HIV overcoming stigma to lead full, healthy lives.