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.
In 2025, HIV/AIDS is still a big taboo in Africa. In my country, I had discussions with my relatives to know their opinion on the subject...
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.
I no longer have the hatred I used to have for my friend, but I still have that trauma from before, and when I think back to that time, I cry.
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.
It was from the second class that I really understood that I am HIV-positive. Since then, nothing was the same as before.
HIV had kept me locked in fear for over a decade, constantly worrying about stigma and judgement. But I reminded myself of everything I had learned through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness: Stay present.
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 come here when things are rough. When my head is so full I have to put it on paper. I can't say that I put it all here.