I Will Never Forget The Day

I will never forget the day my mother asked me, “Is there something you want me to know about you?”  Mom wanted to know if I had HIV. She had just attended her first HIV educational program. She learned about the virus and how important being in care is to assure a person with HIV remains healthy. She was armed with new knowledge, but she was also my mom. She knew how important it is to support the ones she loves. In that moment I was caught off guard. She was ready. She was opening her mind and her heart for me to share the one thing I feared most to share. Could I do it? Could I finally disclose to her that I have HIV? I did.  It changed everything. HIV stigma in the Black community remains one of the biggest obstacles to knowing your status. The support of a mother, father, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, or cousin can be lifesaving to a person facing HIV. Unfortunately, the drive to know your status, and the crucial need to start and remain in care are all too often blocked by the stigma of HIV. Even today, after nearly 40 years of the epidemic, there remains intense fear that once you know you have HIV your relations with others; especially your own relatives will change. I heard that very story this week from a Black man with two advanced degrees. He was still afraid to tell his own mother he had HIV. HIV stigma in the Black community remains one of the biggest obstacles to knowing your status, getting into and remaining in care, right up ther...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news