activism, advocacy

Hi all!! My name is Marie. I'm 49 years old and I was recently diagnosed with HIV... I look forward to supporting women everywhere!

Well, I made it to USCHA in Washington DC... I love coming to these conferences because they are so personally beneficial for me as an advocate.

I advocate for cure research with an open mind and open heart... Personally, I am free from the burden of needing a cure. It's a "nice-to-have", not a "need-to-have".

Sharing my stories and giving courage to others like me who can relate to some of my struggles and victories is a way I can give back to a community that has literally saved my life.

Me decían que lo que me mataría serían mis medicinas no el virus. Y sé, con certeza, que estaban equivocados... Cuando llegué a Estados Unidos en 2001, empecé tratamiento. Cuatro semanas después ya estaba indetectable.

They told me that my medication would kill me, not the virus. And I know for a fact they were wrong... When I came to the United States in 2001, I started treatment. Four weeks later, I was undetectable.

HIV criminalization is an amalgamation of a lot of things. It is ignorance overlaid with fear and underpinned by the need to exert power over the same people who are being feared.

It all seemed like talk – until it happened... Words could never do this journey justice. But I will try.

Living with HIV for over 20 years, Chanica has transformed her personal journey into a powerful platform rooted in service, storytelling, and systemic change.

Art such as Adriana's couture art contributes to creating safe spaces in our HIV community where dignity is restored and fear of stigma is replaced with connection.