Talina

Well, to start with my name is Talina and I live in the Bronx, NY. When I was first diagnosed with HIV I was still in high school. I was in my senior year of high school and I was donating blood in order to get extra tickets for graduation. I was 17 at the time. During this time I've had 4 sexual partners. The guy whom I suspect gave it to me was 30 years old, used drugs, had unprotected sex with women, and he loved to have group sex. It wasn't until I received a letter from the New York Blood Supply Center that my blood reacted to one of their tests. I knew what it was even though the paper didn't say it. I cried that night praying to God that it wasn't what I thought it was, praying for him to forgive my sins and let everything be ok. Within a few days I went to get my results. When I was told that I am HIV+ I didn't cry. The doctor was expecting me to cry so bad that she kept giving me tissue. I told her I already knew what to expect, I was just hoping that I would have to pay for this sin. My life change forever. I knew what I had, yet I became even more sexually active. During my freshman year of college I was having sex with 3 different guys. One of them I was having unprotected sex. I never told them about my status although 2 of them did find out. I lost a good friend due to my sexual behavior, and that is when I decided to change my sexual activity.

I'm no saint. I go see my doctor regularly. Thank God that I haven't been on any meds. since I've been diagnosed. I try to take care of myself. I still need to work on my sexual activity though. I still have multiple sexual partners. I try to use a condom, I'm not gonna lie, I did have sex with someone recently and did not use a condom. I'm now fighting with myself to tell him about my status. Also I recently had sex with my ex-boyfriend from high school. He knows about my status and he has been a supporting friend besides my lover. We recently had sex and we used a condom, but the condom broke. Now he is worried that he may have contracted it and is planning on getting tested soon. For some reason though, I feel confident that he doesn't have it and I'm praying that he doesn't.

After finding out that I am HIV+, I didn't tell my parents for 2 years. I was worried that they would be mad at me, and would probably disown me. Since telling them, they have been very supportive. My whole family have been supportive. My best friend have been supportive. I just have been blessed to have people in my life that have supported me though and though.

Now I'm 21 and in my last year of college. I'm planning on becoming an elementary school teacher. I'm also a youth advocate in a research organization that does studies for and with youths who are HIV+. I now try to help educate others about HIV and hope that my experience will help create change.

Candice

Hi my name is Candice,

I'm a 18 year old black female living with HIV. I was diagnosed almost a year ago. This is my story.

I had just met this guy, he was very sweet, he claimed that he liked me a lot. I was 17 years old at the time and was going through a lot of things at home. My family was just made aware that my dad had just got addicted to drugs, he was going out late and wouldn't return home until late the next morning. I felt furious. I didn't know what to do. Then that's when this guy came along and made me feel extra special. A friend had hooked the two of us up. I was a virgin, and I told him that he would have to respect that. He did but eventually we decided to have sex. We didn't use a condom. Almost a week later I got very sick, I woke up one morning throwing up and feeling very lightheaded. I then fainted. My parents took me to the hospital. We thought that I was pregnant. The doctors asked me if i used protection and I said no. They then told me they would test me for HIV. The results took about 2-3weeks. The whole time I didn't know what to do. Finally the doctors called and said that it would be critical if i didn't come in to see a doctor. Me and my parents, went to UIC clinic in Chicago. That's where they told me that i had HIV.

Me any my mom cried so much. I thought that was it for me. I really wanted to get in contact with the guy i was infected by. When I tried to reach him he told me that he didn't know what i was talking about, and told me never to call his house again, with such nonsense. I was heartbroken. Well after that I went through a lot of depression. I had to get therapy, cause I just couldn't get why someone would do what he did to me. This guy knew and didn't try to use protection. Now I am coping with the matter. I live my life more and more taking my meds everyday. I continue to stay strong for myself.

The only advice i give is that you should always use protection. If your partner doesn't want to maybe he or she doesn't need to be with you. Anyway to all people who once suffered like I did. Stay strong people.

Maria

I have HIV and I've known I've been living with it for four years. I was told by my doctor. When I first found out I had the virus, I thought that I was going to die very soon. I cried so bad but my mum and dad comforted me. I was 9 years old at the time. It was like I'd lost a piece of my heart. Pity, anger and sadness were what I felt. Also the question, why me, out of billions of people, why me!

But I'm glad that I was told because I would have carried on living my life and falling sick, without knowing why. I think it's useful being told if you're sick because if the worst comes, there'll not be many questions to be asked. It's important to be told.

I take lots of medicines, big tablets which are generally the size of a 2p coin. I take 15 tablets a day - altogether 105 tablets a week! It's a hassle but it's for the best. I find taking DDC the hardest because it's so big and takes time to take. But I'm used to it - the medicines are part of my daily life and my life is a part of my medicines. I hope that they can make an easier way of taking medicines. But most, I hope they find a cure for all those like me.

If I fall sick, it is simple cases like the flu, but I have to be admitted to hospital because it could lead into something like a chest infection. When I'm in hospital I feel so sad and lonely - I like it when people visit me. I've had chicken pox twice and shingles four times, and chest infections and other infections. There was one time when I was so sick. I was 10 or 11 and I had some infection in my stomach. I had to have a biopsy [when tissue from the body is removed and examined] and I was in so much pain. I'd lost weight so I was being fed by a drip. I thought that I was going to die, but they got me better and I stayed on in hospital for two weeks. I hate getting sick, I don't think anyone likes it. When I wasn't well, I used to say I wish I could just die in my sleep, just so the pain could go away forever.

I can't join in some conversations when my friends are talking about AIDS or HIV. Like someone would go " I'm glad I'm OK and haven't got HIV". I don't like it when people say horrible things like that. It makes me feel bad. For example they say things like " you mustn't touch anyone who has AIDS or you'll catch it too".

I've been going to my hospital for five years now so they know me quite well. I get lots of help from my doctor called Steven and other people and whenever I need someone to talk to they're always there.

Stories taken from http://www.avert.org

MORE STATISTICS

• Approximately 40,000 new HIV infections occur each year in the United States, about 70 percent among men and 30 percent among women. Of these newly infected people, half are younger than 25 years of age.

 

• Of new infections among men in the United States, CDC estimates that approximately 60 percent of men were infected through homosexual sex, 25 percent through injection drug use, and 15 percent through heterosexual sex. Of newly infected men, approximately 50 percent are black, 30 percent are white, 20 percent are Hispanic, and a small percentage are members of other racial/ethnic groups.

 

• Of new infections among women in the United States, CDC estimates that approximately 75 percent of women were infected through heterosexual sex and 25 percent through injection drug use. Of newly infected women, approximately 64 percent are black, 18 percent are white, 18 percent are Hispanic, and a small percentage are members of other racial/ethnic groups. idents are living with HIV infection, one-quarter of whom are unaware of their infection.

 

• 67% of black women with HIV contracted it from heterosexual sex.  African American women are 23 times more times likely to be infected with AIDS than white women.  African American men are almost nine times more likely to be infected with AIDS than white men.
  

For More information on AIDS/HIV go to http://www.avert.org and http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/aidsstat.htm