HIV/AIDS Blog Central: Perspectives From the HIV/AIDS Community

This has been quite a journey again with my fourth child. Only reason I say that is there has been so much going on with me and my family. I am finally moved and settled into our new home. I am still going to school, but this is my very last course and I will be done!!! I am very excited; this degree has been a long time coming, and I was not going to stop until I finished. My other three children are doing great and growing big, and my husband remains supportive and strong for me.

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The world of nutritional supplements is a confusing one, with thousands of claims that are not supported with clinical studies, or are based on research done in rats. There is no FDA oversight of these claims, and quality control audits of this industry are infrequent. However, the FDA is known for sending warnings about supplements that have been reported to cause health concerns, or with unapproved ingredients found in random testing.

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"I got it from her, she got it from a gay ex-boyfriend," he told his then wife.

Not that I had talked to him since BEFORE I even knew I had it. I had no contact with him after 2007.

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On Sunday, Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. EST, Philip and Justin B. Terry-Smith shared about the love they have for each other and what it is like to be parents.

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Our first meeting on-camera was six years ago. The memory of it pains me still, despite my enthusiasm for appearing on national television for any reason whatsoever.

"And how long have you been off drugs?" He asked. The look in his eyes carried a journalist's skepticism. The intense lights of the CNN studio seemed to brighten at the question.

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On Sunday, Nov. 25th at 9 p.m., Kari Farmer-Coffman shared her story. Kari lives near Fort Smith, Arkansas. She is the mother of a beautiful daughter. Kari was diagnosed with HIV on Nov. 4, 2010 and two days later was diagnosed with AIDS. She was told to make plans for her daughter and her funeral. Kari was not ready to quit. Two years later, she is still fighting and making a difference in the community. She is now undetectable. She is a full time student, an advocate and activist, and most importantly a better mother! She knows that she has a voice for this cause and she uses it to the best of her abilities.

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Remember that the beautiful butterfly was once a cocoon. There is hope as long as there is life <3.

"Being strong is also coming to terms that life is not easy, we may not always be happy and we should let it out for our own well being." Don't hold onto anything because you are scared of the future ... if it is not working for you there is a reason for this!

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This World AIDS Day, PWN and women and HIV advocates around the country advocated for an end to violence against women. Check out videos, articles, and interviews below! More to come in the next e-blast. Stay tuned!

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Last night I had a dream and in it I was quite scared. Every now and then something will remind me that I am infected with a virus that without drug intervention and treatment would lead to extreme sickness and ultimately death. Even with treatment a person infected with HIV has a decreased lifespan. This is a scary reality and the reason that I share my story with others to help them cope as well as try to stay negative.

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The Getting to Zero Rally held at the John A. Wilson building in Northwest yesterday drew more than 100 supporters and activists who searched for answers. The press conference and rally was organized to demand that Mayor [of Washington, D.C., Vincent] Gray and his Commission on HIV/AIDS write and implement a comprehensive HIV Care Plan that mirrors the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The rally was organized by the D.C. Community Coalition, Mary's Center, The Women's Collective, Housing Works, and D.C. Fights Back.

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