I'm choosing to live out loud—for the girl I used to be and for the ones who still think they have to shrink to survive. You don't. You can bloom right where you are.
Check out The Well Project's A Girl Like Me LIVE!, an interactive, livestreaming series created to advance health and wellness education among women living with and vulnerable to HIV.
Nineteen years ago, I never imagined that I would one day have the strength to speak openly about my status in a leading HIV magazine. But here I am.
When diagnosed, a person confides in me and trusts my guidance and love. I kill stigma one day, one person at a time. Doors are opening and I feel alive.
It felt like a warm blanket, comforting me in moments of loneliness, sadness, depression, and anxiety. When the weight of my emotions became unbearable, alcohol was there to dull the edges.
If I can be such an inspiration to others, I must treat myself with the same love I freely give...
HIV was transmitted to me by my mother at birth. I cannot explain to you how my transmission took place because I myself have no idea.
I believe that by being open about my experience, I can help dismantle the myths and misconceptions about living with HIV. Every life has those pivotal moments, the ones that change everything.
I didn't know it would feel this good and to be honest, I am loving it! I know what I want, I am comfortable in my skin, I know that I am of the light, but I dance with darkness sometimes - and we all have that Yin and Yang.
As I continue to blog and open up about my story for the first time, I hope to give readers insight into how a former barber from Rancho Cucamonga, CA turned an HIV diagnosis into the biggest blessing of her life.