Rae Lewis-Thornton, The Body; Posted Feb 3, 2:00 p.m. ET

"So here I am, trying to find me. Trying to reclaim that part of me that I can own, that I can control. ... I cannot change the fact that I contracted herpes in college, or that I contracted HIV years later, and now the combination of the two has deeply affected my life in the most unexpected way."

Kellee Terrell, The Body; Posted Feb 3, 12:29 p.m. ET

Another day, another opportunity for our elected officials to completely expose themselves for being entirely out of touch with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country. Recently, State Sen. Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) from Tennessee has found himself at the center of a media firestorm because of some erroneous comments he made about HIV transmission on a radio program.

Ikè Nwankpa, The Body; Posted Feb 2, 12:41 p.m. ET

A recent study found that women living with HIV/AIDS may find therapeutic benefits from owning pets. "Pets -- primarily dogs -- gave these women a sense of support and pleasure," study author Allison Webel, RN, Ph.D., said.

Mark S. King, The Body; Posted Feb 1, 3:29 p.m. ET

"I couldn't help but wonder what might happen if an HIV-positive man had to sit down with his accuser and explain himself. So, through the magic of some creative editing, I produced this video episode of 'My Fabulous Disease' to give a voice to the opinions and feelings of both parties."

Can't Stop Blaming Myself
(A recent post from the "I Just Tested Positive" board)

"What I can't get past (other than a blood-chilling fear of sickness, the regret of a life with less opportunity now, and the weight from thoughts of telling my family the saddest news I can imagine) ... is the GUILT that I did this to myself. I didn't protect the most important thing I had. Me. I took care of every other thing: friends, family, work, pets. I was top notch. But I didn't take care of me. How can I get past this guilt?"

 -- TheGoodLife

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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Posted Feb 1, 10:39 a.m. ET

Duke University researchers found that the Deep South sees 35 percent of all new U.S. infections, though it makes up just 22 percent of the country's population. Eight of the 10 states with the highest death rates from HIV are in the region.

River Huston, The Body; Posted Jan 30, 7:30 p.m. ET

"I have been calling this time of my life the 'bonus rounds,' and they are. ... Some people called it blessed. I just feel it is a privilege to not just be alive, but have found some happiness and contentment in my life."

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Posted Jan 30, 2:43 p.m. ET

Approximately 10 percent of U.S. men and 8 percent of U.S. women said they had engaged in at least one HIV risk behavior, a large U.S. survey found -- down from 13 percent of men and 11 percent of women in a similar survey conducted in 2002.

The Positive Project; Posted Jan 30, 12:47 p.m. ET

This month, we share three new videos featuring frank, honest, first-person stories from people in the U.S. living with HIV. They come to you thanks to our partnership with The Positive Project, an organization dedicated to fighting stigma and educating people about HIV.

Detail from:
"Untitled (Keith Haring)," 1985-1988
Juan Rivera

Visit the January 2012 Visual AIDS Web Gallery to view our latest collection of art by HIV-positive artists! This month's gallery, entitled "If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry," is curated by Stuart Sandford.

Black AIDS Institute; Posted Jan 27, 12:15 p.m. ET

Last year marked some huge milestones in HIV prevention and treatment research -- but not a huge improvement in the U.S. epidemic, especially among African Americans. The Black AIDS Institute takes a look back at its predictions for 2011, and summarizes how each one actually turned out.

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation; Posted Jan 26, 3:16 p.m. ET

Without HIV/AIDS-related deaths, the population of South Africa would be at 55 million today, instead of 50.6 million, according to the South African Institute of Race Relations. The institute predicts that by 2040, South Africa's population will be 24 million below what it would have been without HIV.

Kellee Terrell, The Body; Posted Jan 26, 2:12 p.m. ET

How to Survive a Plague, directed by award-winning journalist and first-time filmmaker David France, captures the tireless (and often controversial) activism that paved the way for our modern era of HIV treatment, in which being diagnosed with the virus no longer means a virtual death sentence.

Kellee Terrell, The Body; Posted Jan 26, 11:54 a.m. ET

A new HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in Florida doesn't go the typical route of television PSAs and bus ads. Instead, Faces of HIV features a traveling art exhibit that consists of photos and written daily journals that convey the real-life stories of people living with HIV.