Stage of Change: Ready for Action - Blessed

Stage of Change: Maintenance - Living Safe and Loving It

Stage of Change: Ready for Action - Wanda's Story

Stage of Change: Ready for Action
BLESSED

I am an African American women living with HIV/AIDS for 20 years. The first time that I found out that I was HIV+ was when I was 7 months pregnant with my second child. I was so happy when I found out that I was having a son, I was trying to do all the right things, to have a healthy baby. When it all came to an end when my baby’s father told me that he was cheating on me with another woman. He told me that I needed to go to the 
doctor so I could get a STD test because the woman that he was with had an STD. 

So I went to the doctor and I told him to test me for all STDs and he did. When the test came back he called me into his office and said that I had HIV and I was the first person he knew with HIV and could I please leave his office. 

Then he asked his nurse to come in and take me to the back door because he didn’t want his people in the front office to get HIV from me. That was the start of my walk with HIV/AIDS and I am blessed. 

25% of people who are HIV+ do not know. 

Nationally, women represented only 8% of AIDS cases in 1985; today they 
represent over 27% of AIDS cases.

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Stage of Change: Maintenance
LIVING SAFE AND LOVING IT

I am a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a friend, and a wife (widowed). I have lost my mother to  cancer, I lost my son through gun violence, and I lost my husband of 26 years to prostate cancer in September 2005. 

Although I believe that my husband died of AIDS because on his death certificate it had septic shock and pneumonia. I don’t know and I never will but something in my heart makes me feel this way. 

My only daughter and I cried together, for six months after knowing I did nothing. Finally it was suggested that I go to a doctor and also I found an agency, Spectrum. 

I am celibate today because I don’t want to fornicate or commit adultery because in my past life I’ve done enough of both. So I’m at the point in my life that I would prefer a husband rather than a man friend to share sex with. I feel I had the best sex in my life with my husband and as I grow old I’m doing it gracefully and safely. 

Nationally, women represented only 8% of AIDS cases in 1985; today they represent over 27% of AIDS cases.

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Stage of Change: Ready for Action 
Wanda’s Story

I’m a 46 year old woman.  I had my first sexual encounter when I was 11yrs old.  The young man was 17 yrs old. This was unprotected sex that went on for about 6 years.  I also had group sex with this man and my girlfriend this also included oral sex, we did not use condoms.  At this time I knew of STD’s. The most common was syphilis, gonorrhea and VD, but I continued to have unprotected sex.  I had no bad experience with any disease. At the age of 16 I got pregnant. 

I was using drugs and alcohol. I continue to have unprotected sex and also group sex several times.  I had unprotected sex with my son’s father knowing he was sleeping with several girls. At the age of 18 I moved away from Los Angeles, CA and got married to another man. We used drugs & alcohol together. I then got my first STD, which was Trich.  I got treated and was told by the doctor to start using condoms. At this time I started to get abused by this man and raped. I had to have sex with him (my husband) without condoms. He said I must be cheating. 

I left him 6 years later returning to Los Angeles CA and began to smoke crack. 

I then got my second STD that was Chlamydia. I then started to hear something about HIV & AIDS and about people dying from this disease. I had no knowledge of this disease. Only, that you get it from having unprotected sex. I have slept with drug dealers for crack & alcohol and also married men without protection. I’m now clean & sober for the last 6 years. I have still had unprotected sex sober. I am now married again. Thanks to Sisters Alive Prevention Program I am now armed with some facts about HIV & AIDS. 

I want to live free. I know two people that have died from this disease they try to take as many people with them by not telling their partners of their status.

Thank you for this program, it has changed my life. If more people like me could get this information it could save more lives. I have been tested and I’m HIV FREE.

Thank you, Sister Alive Prevention Program

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