This message is for the YOUTH and YOUTHFUL.

As I reflect on #WorldAIDSDay, I think one of the most important messages that I want youth to take away from the celebration is knowing their truth and standing firm in it. It’s wild because it almost feels like I came out twice. The first time gave me life. The second coming out was my old body dying from what was my perception of what it means to be HIV-negative. While not said explicitly, society teaches you in many ways that being HIV-negative grants you many privileges, that being HIV-negative means that you have made the right choices thus far. “It couldn’t be me” is the mentality that I speak of.

According to Merck and the Prevention Access Campaign, approximately 23% of the survey participants stated that they either were “not at all informed” or “somewhat informed” about HIV.

Speaking only from my worldview and my experience—If you live in the South, from a reproductive health perspective, you more than likely had a mediocre class that spread stigmatizing language about HIV, which made you afraid. I know that was my experience.

I remember the bolder term in my Health book in seventh grade, and I remember how “dirty” I felt thinking about the word and how it must’ve been painful to live with.

Something that kills you slowly surely sounds like a curse.

But it was bittersweet for me.

My positive diagnosis unlocked a different part of myself that I was too afraid to tap into. I found my voice, my conviction to live and a purpose to thrive.

My family was my support, my mentors, everything that I could possibly ask for in reconstructing myself to live with a newly added identity, a new HEALTH CONDITION.

And when I say family, I’m not just talking about blood relatives. I’m talking about my brothers and sisters who also know that it can literally be….a hard pill to swallow.
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Toraje, Georgia

According to a recent study by the Prevention Access Campaign and the pharmaceutical company Merck, 28 perfect of HIV negative people avoid hugging people living with HIV. The study uncovered widespread stigma from young people. We know that this is a direct result of the lack of sex ed that is inclusive and medically accurate.
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This is why ECHO exists. While there are young people reinforcing stigma, primarily due to misinformation, there are young people working to educate and support their communities in eliminating HIV stigma.
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ECHO is young, powerful and taking over! Join us in taking action today: https://actionnetwork.org/le…/update-hiv-policy-in-our-state

I’ve been #undetectable for 3 years Now.
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I remember being first diagnosed and being so ashamed of myself as someone who has participated in so many programs designated towards HIV/STD prevention and awareness. I felt as someone who was already involved with spreading the message that I would be looked at as irresponsible or contradictory. I was ashamed, I didn’t tell anyone for a while. I was numb, I thought to myself “if I take my medicine and get to undetectable I’ll be fine. No one has to know.(besides anyone I was having sex with)” It wasn’t until my mom found my pill bottle that I was forced to tell her my situation.
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When I told my mom and stepdad, I felt I was letting my mom down. I felt that because of all the conversations we’ve had about HIV and my knowledge about how NOT to get it. After that, things in the house became intense.  
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I began to think that HIV could be spread through the most ignorant ways like: I was worried I could spread HIV by going to the Barbershop. I began to question everything I learned. Even knowing the accurate statistics! I began to worry about being that 1%! I BEGAN TO STIGMATIZE MYSELF!
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I chose to work in this field because I now understand the value of educating people on accurate information. I literally went from not caring at all. To standing up for the millions of gay black teenagers and young men that are at risk of transmission. I’ve worked with some incredibly intelligent, humble, passionate people. I’ve gotten to travel and work with people on a national level to bring awareness to stigma and policies that discriminate and criminalize HIV.
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I’m also standing up for all those who we lost to AIDS (which is not HIV). They went through a literal hell of medical confusion. And we now have access to tools to end HIV transmission for good! I’m happy to do what I do. And that’s because of WHO I AM.

Adonis, Milwaukee