World AIDS Day 2008: Things to Hear

Things to hear

First-Person Stories | Word on the Street

First-Person Stories

You can read all you want about HIV, but to truly get a sense for what it's like to live an HIV-positive life -- or to fight for the rights of HIV-positive people -- you need to meet the people on the front lines of the epidemic. Browse our collection of personal interviews; both transcripts and audio files are available! For more first-person interviews, visit TheBody.com's Podcast Central.

Jack Mackenroth's Story

It's Jack From Project Runway! Reality TV Star Talks About Living With HIV and Fighting Stigma
"By the time I got on Project Runway ... I was so comfortable being HIV positive and being open about it ... that I didn't really even think twice," says Jack Mackenroth, a former cast member of the Bravo network's fashion-design reality show. The fact that Jack has been living with HIV since 1990 is old news to Project Runway fans -- Jack was 100 percent open about his HIV status, even while living in the fishbowl of reality television. Now Jack uses his high profile, and his design expertise, to fight HIV stigma.

9 min.
Download podcast, read transcript, or watch video:

Thembi Ngubane's Story

Thembi Ngubane: Mother, Activist, South African ... and Proof Positive That You Can Thrive With HIV
When she tested HIV positive in 2002 at the age of 16, Thembi Ngubane scarcely had an idea what HIV meant or what to do next. Now, there are few people on the planet who could tell such an inspiring story of growth, strength and redemption.

39 min.
Download podcast or read transcript

Damaries Cruz's Story

HIV-Positive Latina Puts a Public Face on a Stigmatized Virus
Damaries Cruz is an optimist. "When I was diagnosed [in 1991 -- five years before the era of effective HIV treatment truly began] I had to find a way to turn this horrible thing, this negative thing, into a positive," she recalls. "I had a choice: I could sit there and cry and let this thing eat me alive, or I could just celebrate my life and beat it." Cruz is now a very public advocate: She and her mom are the stars of a newly released, Spanish-language media campaign called Soy (Spanish for "I am"), which features the personal stories of a diverse group of HIV-positive Hispanic men and women, as well as the people who love them. In this article, you can read our interview with Cruz and view a video from this groundbreaking campaign.

18 min.
Download podcast or read transcript

Kali Lindsey's Story

This Positive Life: An Interview With Kali Lindsey
Kali Lindsey has learned a lot of difficult lessons since he tested HIV positive in 2003. One thing he advises other people: "Don't waste your time trying to convince people to love you in spite of your HIV. Love yourself and people will see that you love yourself and be attracted to you as a result of that."

34 min.
Download podcast or read transcript

Word on the Street

Ingrid Floyd

(3 min.)
Download Audio

If you could advise President-elect Barack Obama, what would be the three things you would counsel him to change immediately that would make a difference in HIV prevention and treatment in the United States?

Ingrid Floyd, Executive Director, Iris House, New York City

If we look at, historically, where HIV has been and where we are now and consider that we still have staggering HIV rates -- especially in communities of color and among women -- I would definitely first challenge the Obama administration to declare that HIV/AIDS is a national health emergency in the United States. Read More >>

Click here to read and listen to more answers to this question.

Nyrobi Moss

(2 min.)
Download Audio

If you were in charge of World AIDS Day, what would you do to make it a more meaningful day?

Nyrobi Moss, Sexual Health Educator and Trainer, SisterLove, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.

The one thing that I find is that the higher up you go, people start to separate and distance themselves from World AIDS Day. They say, "Oh yeah, OK, millions of people are dying with this thing." But a lot of people do not have a personal, vested interest in the things that are going on with HIV... Read More >>

Click here to read and listen to more answers to this question.

The Body is a service of Body Health Resources Corporation, 250 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10107. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Body Health Resources Corporation, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.