A month into my marriage I discovered that I was 10 weeks pregnant and HIV positive. My husband of one month tested negative. I was shattered. Why me? I have always been a good girl. The doctor tried to explain this medical mystery but it did not...
Featured on this site
Submitted on
In a perfect world it wouldn’t matter if I was HIV+. As you all know, this isn’t a perfect world. I came to realize this better the weeks following my diagnosis. I told my family. They are my family for Goodness sake! They are going to support me...
Submitted on
I’m the person who thought I would kick the bucket from addiction in that crack house, where I lived and died on a daily basis, seven years ago. I’m the person who had a good job but couldn’t get to it because I was stuck in that crack house, where I...
Submitted on
My name is Jae, I am 39 years old and have been HIV+ for 18 years. I am a wife, mother to 3 boys, an employee, and full-time student. I live in Southern California, USA. I work in the medical field, the city I work in I come in contact with men that are HIV+. I just don’t have anything in common with them. First of all they are men. Second, most of them are gay. I am neither. I have a family and have been married for 21 years. My husband is in law enforcement and I was a stay at home mother for many years. He is a bit of a private person and has suppressed my participation in activism. So reluctantly I have agreed to forgo being a face to the masses to sitting back and Blogging about my own experiences.
Submitted on
As I sit here today, I am reminded of how precious life truly is for each of us. A recent tragedy in the family resulted in the all-too-soon death of a child from an automobile accident and the horrors of the earthquake in Haiti have made me realize...
Submitted on
I don’t know how other girls like me react to stigma and injustices we suffer because of our statuses. I usually beat myself up. Sometimes, depending on the source of the stigma, I’d loathe myself. But a recent incident opened my eyes to a whole new dimension of reaction. If I am responsible and suffer the consequences of my own actions, why then don’t I let other people do the same? The stigma might be directed to me, buts it’s not about me. It’s about the other person’s ignorance and misinformation, so then why must I punish myself because they are ignorant? It does not make sense at all.
Submitted on
Who am I? My family know me as the Diva, the strongest HIV+ woman they've ever seen. What they don't know is what happens when I switch off the lights and close the door, I suddenly am not so strong anymore. I crumble, I… the real me comes out and...
Submitted on
You know, I love the holidays, I really do. But a part of me dreads them as well. I love spending time with my family, both immediate and extended. But a part of me can’t help but feel so alone when I’m sitting amidst the family gathering. I can’t...
Submitted on
The 2009 WRI meeting aimed to identify and then prioritize research questions in order to determine the area of focus that would most significantly impact our understanding of HIV disease in women.
Submitted on
Tonight at the grocery store my 7-year old stated definitively that this was the last day of November as she stared at the billboard size calendar in our local Whole Foods. I jumped on this open door for a teaching moment and asked her if she knew...
Submitted on
December 1st is World AIDS Day. While I should be happy that the world acknowledges the day, I am a bit disappointed. My disappointment comes from the fact that World AIDS Day is just that - one day. Only one day! I live with this disease every day...
Submitted on
This time of year, we reflect on what we are thankful for in life. Some of the things I am thankful for include my family, my home and my job. But I am most thankful for my son. His joy, beauty, and the sheer happiness he brings, completes me. I...
Submitted on
Ladies, last weekend my daughter and I (who, by the way, is 33) shared the most amazing empowering experience while we attended the 2009 Sistersong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Conference in Washington D.C. What we both discovered when we...
Submitted on
Why do I want to submit blogs to The Well Project’s “A Girl Like Me” Blog? Mainly because I know how alone I felt when I was first diagnosed. Not only did I feel alone but I felt violated, vulnerable and powerless. Today I have taken control of my...
Submitted on
As I check my facebook page, I notice all of my friends appearing to have a great time, some single and partying, others married and living the "typical" family life. All awhile, I stare blankly at the page wondering what happened to my life. Is this...