HIV diagnosis

As part of a collaboration with our longtime partner organization Christie's Place, The Well Project will be sharing stories from their book "Healing Hope: A woven tapestry of strength and solace" as...

El primer relato es la historia de los eventos que me provocaron traumas antes de mi diagnóstico. Comienza en el ambiente en el que nací y cómo este generó las oportunidades para que me ocurrieran experiencias traumáticas a temprana edad.

Ashley Nicole Richardson is a young African American Woman with an ambition like none other. Ashley has always had a passion for helping those in her community.

I am a 59-year-old woman. Almost 8 months ago I received an HIV-positive diagnosis. Unexpected, surprising, incomprehensible, and unfair. With these four adjectives I can describe that first impact that the diagnosis generated in me.

To read in English, click here. Soy una mujer de 59 años. Hace casi 8 meses recibí el diagnóstico de HIV positivo. Inesperado, sorpresivo, inentendible e injusto. Con estos cuatro adjetivos puedo...

Me salí de mi casa a la edad de 14 años y empecé con alcohol y drogas. Siempre me sentí inferior a las demás. Desde mi actividad sexual me hacía estudios de sangre, aunque mis relaciones no fuesen constantes. Ya existía en mí el temor a una enfermedad de trasmisión sexual. Había ocasiones que regresaba a casa y mi familia siempre me recibía con amor y podía sentir su tranquilidad cuando me veían llegar, pero yo fallaba cada que mi ansiedad volvía.

I left home when I was 14 and I started drinking and doing drugs. I always felt like 'less' than other girls. I'd get blood tests since I was sexually active, even if I wasn't having sex all the time. I lived with the fear of sexually transmitted diseases. There were times when I would go back home and my family always greeted me lovingly.

Following our trip to California, I continued mourning my life before HIV. In the midst of the daily funerals I would have for my "old self," I was still waiting, and in some ways hoping (praying) that this was not my reality.

Hola, mi nombre es Samantha Rose Montemayor Morales. Soy una orgullosa mujer trans latina de color que ha estado viviendo con el VIH desde el 28 de junio de 2010.

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.