A Girl Like Me Contributors

Hi, I am 44 years old, and was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 19, way back in 1989. I grew up on the east coast and life was not easy or simple for me as a child. I am a survivor of several kinds of abuse, for which none of us deserve no matter the...

My (chosen) name is Sonia. I am 31 years old and discovered I am HIV+ less than a month ago. Still feels like a bad dream and I have been waiting for somebody to wake me up, but doesn't seem to happen. I bumped into this website while searching on...

My name is Sophie Mubvumbi Jayawardene. Many People call me Stigma Warrior Princess. Please feel free to call me this or Sophie Jayawardene. I was diagnosed in 1989. At the time I was happily married, six months pregnant expecting twins, and had two...

Opportunities Not Obstacles! My grandson ran in his first Spartan race on Sunday, and as my eyes followed him, I thought how amazing this was that this could be a metaphor for all the challenges that so many of us have before we realize that we are...

LaDawn D. Tate was born January 9, 1982 in Detroit, Michigan. LaDawn grew up in Highland Park where she was raised by her Grandmother Myrtice Malunda. At the age of 16 she was legally emancipated where she had to learn how to survive in the world on...

I'm a 25 year old single mother and an IT professional. I was born, bred and buttered in Johannesburg, South Africa. I am a co-founder of a youth group called Direct Devine Connection Club (D2Csquared). I hate seeing other people suffer, and try by...

Tiommi Jenae Luckett is a transgender woman of color living with HIV since September 2012. Luckett began advocating in February 2014 by speaking at the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Luckett went on to AIDS Watch 2014 where she spoke with...

My name is Tranisha Arzah and I have been living with HIV for 25 years. I am from Seattle, WA and grew up in a small town on the Peninsula called Port Townsend. Currently, I have been working as a Peer Advocate for BABES-Network YWCA which is a...

Samantha Montemayor is a Sexual Health Counselor currently serving the community of New York City as the Oasis Case Manager of the Latino Commission on AIDS. Most recently she was a member of the "Activate and Elevate Fellowship" Workgroup of the...