October 2, 2016 - Sun Sentinel.
By Johnny Diaz
As she's done hundreds of times, Maria Mejia stepped up to the podium, scanned the audience, took a deep breath and shared her story.
At 18, she learned she was HIV positive. By 28, she had AIDS. Those diagnoses eventually launched her on a mission to raise awareness about HIV prevention and the sometimes harsh realities of living with the virus.
The Sunrise resident has become an outspoken advocate for women and Latinos, communities that, 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, still grapple with fears and misconceptions about the disease.
Mejia, 43, is a sought-out motivational speaker at gay, Latino and HIV-themed conferences and events in South Florida and beyond. She blogs, posts updates on social media and records videos in English and Spanish.
"I'm Latina and a lot of Latinas don't want to come out of the HIV closet because of the stigma. We don't want to shame the family," Mejia said.
The Colombian native hid her diagnoses from family members for years for fear of rejection, but today, she's an open book. Continue reading…
