Power to protect against HIV is yours
Living with HIV is something that I’m all too familiar with. In fact, I’ve never experienced life any other way.
When I was 4 months old, I was diagnosed as HIV-positive. My entire life has been spent dealing with this condition. It has been tough, especially since I am an open person who loves to share with those close to me.
But at an early age, I learned I had to be cautious about who I told when I saw the way people reacted and how I lost friends after I told them I was HIV-positive. It’s certainly not an easy conversation to have, but it’s my reality.
I’m living proof that you can not only live but also succeed in life with an HIV diagnosis. The most important reasons for my success are the support I’ve received from the Memphis Ryan White Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, my family and my friends.
The Memphis Ryan White Program, which covers the cost of my medical insurance, has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. So this year, I decided to give back and tell my story publicly to educate my peers and fellow Memphians to take charge of HIV and get tested or get treated for the disease. I’m now encouraging others through sharing my HIV experience as part of the education campaign called “Know Now. Live Longer.”
The Ryan White Program provides others with their HIVrelated health care needs, including peer counseling, help finding treatment, prescription assistance, and food and transportation assistance.
I’m 23 now and have a much different perspective on the world than I did while growing up. I understood what HIV meant at age 9, but thankfully I was too naive to realize the stigma I would always have following me. I didn’t think it would be an issue to tell my friends about my disease, but my family kept me from sharing so I wouldn’t experience others’ strong judgments at such an early age.
I have taken medicine to manage the disease for most of my life, and now the virus is undetectable. I’m feeling good, working at a part-time job, and I just graduated cum laude from college with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology.
I’ve been sharing my story with high school students in my community for some time, but am now amplifying my message across the Mid-South to promote National HIV Testing Day on Thursday. Now it’s more important than ever to be tested because, according to the Shelby County Health Department, the HIV infection rate for 20- to 24-year-olds is growing at 102.6 percent — the fastest-growing age group reported with new HIV infection.
I didn’t choose to have HIV, but young people have the power to protect themselves. The first step is simply learning more about the disease and how to prevent transmission. The Memphis Ryan White Program website, hivmemphis.org, has many educational resources and links to learn about HIV/AIDS and where to get free HIV testing and medical help in our community.
Take a few minutes to learn about the disease and, most important, to find out where you can get tested Thursday. The test is simple — just a swab inside your cheek. If you test positive, the Ryan White Program can help get you into care to treat the disease.
As I always say, “HIV is real, but it’s not the end of the world.” Take care of yourself and “Know Now. Live Longer.”