Express Yourself

The experience of being positive affects so many aspects of an HIV+ woman's life: our sexuality, our femininity, our sense of self, our understanding and relationship to our body. HIV+ women are so much more than positive. We are mothers, daughters, sisters, lovers, wives, partners, caretakers, and friends. Our stories and experiences of living with this virus are rich, intense, emotional, soul-wrenching, inspiring, heart-breaking, courageous, sad, and sometimes funny.

In an effort to understand the depth and true beauty of HIV+ women from around the world, WORLD is looking for your story. But we're not just looking for your story; we're looking for a way for HIV+ women to express themselves, to heal themselves, to give voice to an experience inside themselves. Rather than just soliciting stories, we are utilizing a format that we hope will give voice to all parts of you.

Think of Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues," and ask yourself: "If my positive vagina could talk (or sing), the song would be ..." or "If my virus- fighting immune system could tell a story, it would say ..." or "If my CD4 T-cells could speak, this is what it would say ..." or "If my viral load could talk, it would say..." You choose. What aspect of your positive self needs to tell its story? The important thing is to give voice to what is inside you that hasn't had an opportunity to tell her story.

Given the response of WORLD's readers we hope to create a collection of positive women's stories: stories of survival and sisterhood. And ultimately we hope to do a performance of positive women's monologues in the fall of 2005. Perhaps yours will be included. Perhaps you could read it yourself. It's up to you. (Remember, anonymity is always your choice. You can use your name as the author, or remain anonymous).

Send us your positive monologue or if you have questions contact:

Shalini Eddens at triloksistah@yahoo.com, or

Kate Murphy at kmurphy@womenhiv.org or 510-986-0340.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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