Today is World Aids Day. Each year this day sparks an important memory of when a woman came to my alma mater to tell her story about how she contracted HIV. Honestly, I can not remember her name but her story has always stuck with me.
During her lecture she told us that she found out she was positive in the early 90’s and that she contracted the virus through unprotected heterosexual sex with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend found out that he was positive and told her during an argument that she should get tested because he is sick.
Her lecture stood out to me because she was so young and before hearing her story I thought anyone with HIV was doomed. I learned that day that she had HIV, HIV did not have her and with a healthy life style and medicine she has been living with the virus over 15 years.
The top messages I took from her story that day was:
- HIV knows no race, gender or color. Anyone can become a victim.
- It is important to be informed and do what you can to protect yourself and minimize your risk.
- Get tested to know your status.
If you’re asking yourself, how can I get information? Look no further. I’ve taken the liberty to highlight a couple of resources. These sites are loaded with information on prevention, educational events and ways for contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Be safe, be healthy and be informed.
www.thebody.com
