Disclosure Is My Gift to You

For twenty years, I have carried a truth within me: I am a Black woman living with HIV. That truth is not a burden, but a gift—though it took me many years to see it that way. When I was first diagnosed, the word disclosure felt frightening, almost dangerous. I remember the questions racing through my mind: Will people still see me the same? Will they walk away? Will I be rejected, pitied, or feared? Too often, society teaches us that silence equals protection—that if we keep quiet, we will avoid judgment. But I quickly learned that silence also builds walls between myself and the people I wanted to trust, love, and grow with. Continue reading...