A Girl Like Me (AGLM), a program of The Well Project, is a blog where women ( cis and trans The Well Project serves women across the gender spectrum. (More about gender identity)) can share their experiences and promote understanding of HIV. Millions of women around the globe are living with HIV, yet many feel they are alone in their disease and isolated in their day-to-day experiences. The goals of AGLM are to help normalize HIV; and to create a safe space for women living with HIV from around the world to speak out and share their experiences – with each other, and with those seeking a support community.
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As I was sitting by the pool watching my son and nephew splash and play I saw my phone light up, alerting me to a notice on Facebook. I opened the notice and read a message that had been posted on my wall. A Facebook friend whom I had recently friended had posted on my wall...
Who will teach the nursing home staff that HIV infected elders are not terrible dirty people? Who will teach them, educate them and instill some compassion and kindness into them? How will we be treated as elders in our twilight years? It's coming, for so many of us who were told we had 6 months to...
Many wonderful things are happening. My book is out From a Warrior's Passion and Pain, my marriage to Lisa, my change of medications, and being honored by Latino Commission on AIDS with The Dennis de Leon Voz de Compromiso Award.
It has always been a long-term goal of The Well Project to have all of our online resources in one place, so as to be able to combine information with real world experiences and connections. The technology of our new website has finally allowed us to reach that milestone. Therefore, we have recently migrated...
"Looking after my health TODAY gives me a better hope for TOMORROW" - Anne Wilson Schaef
I went for my checkup yesterday and something is not right with my test results. It seems that my CD4 count keeps dropping and they can't say why. It went from 778 in January, 2013 to 690 in August, 2013 and 577 in a April, 2014. I can't remember the last time I had...
It’s been a long time since you have heard from this “Girl Like Me,” but I’m still here, still being an avid activist, refusing to let adversity keep me down. And dear friends, if there is ONE thing I ever encourage you to “get” from my story is NEVER GIVE UP, period. That allows...
So much has been on my mind.
I have been giving a lot of thought to my reluctance to disclose my HIV positive status to anyone. I have been positive since 1996 and I would guess about ten people know my status. Initially I was sick and did not even consider telling anyone who didn't have the need to know because...
I got caught up in believing I didn't deserve respect because of my past and dark parts of my identity that I tuck away and try to forget about until it's all I remember. But now I'm learning that self-acceptance is a vital part in determining who you share...
When I was about 4 or 5 years old, some nights I used to be awakened by a mysterious swaying of the curtains in my room. Immediately, I would start seeing shapes that scared me a lot: deformed faces, threatening animals. My fear was such that...
When I was diagnosed with HIV almost 17 years ago I dove head first into activism. I was angry and I needed something to do with that anger or I would have turned it onto myself. What I didn't realize is that I had...
March 29, 2023
I wanted to send him the link to "Being Positive:Ted Talk." I had the impulse to reach out to an ex-boyfriend after a 7-month breakup. I wanted to share feelings I wasn't able to articulate yet had experienced. Feelings of HIV stigma that I...
I attended the International Workshop on HIV and Women 2023 virtually on February 17-18. I love attending conferences in person, there's nothing like the experience and energy of those in-person meetings, but virtual conferences have their pros as well, like attending the conference in your pajamas, which I did...
It is always a weird feeling when presenting at a conference or workshop. On one hand, I'm excited because of the opportunity to be among people who are passionate like me; and on the other hand, I have that good ole...
My lovely people, today I want to share my opinion on PrEP (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis). I know that PrEP is a pill that prevents a person from getting HIV infection. PrEP is scientifically proven to be effective for women.
Nina Martinez, running-to-40, has been living with HIV since she was six weeks old. After pursuing graduate studies in epidemiology at Emory University, she served as a public health analyst at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nina was an active clinical research volunteer at the National Institutes...
Hi! My name's Whitney Stott. I'm a recovering addict and trauma survivor from Richmond, VA. After I got my HIV diagnosis in 2021, I spiraled further into the grips of addiction. The deep inward hatred towards myself and the low self-worth I felt was the perfect environment for my...
