photo by steed media service

Executive Director, HEROES

“I discovered that I had contracted HIV 23 years ago. When I was 19 years old, I received a blood transfusion. I didn’t think much of it until I got engaged and became pregnant a couple of years after college. My OB/GYN asked me to take an HIV test and it came back positive.

Back then, I didn’t have any knowledge of the disease. There weren’t many programs or social groups for people living with HIV. And even when support groups began to form, they really didn’t address the needs of those who were infected. So in 1995, I decided to start HEROES. HEROES [Helping Everyone Receive Effective Ongoing Support] is a support group for women who are living with HIV/AIDS. I wanted to eliminate the negative aspects that were associated with support groups. We meet for three hours per week and we provide transportation, meals and child care.

Our goal is to eliminate the stigma that is associated with the disease. In my hometown [Monroe, La.], there are people who think that there is no such thing as HIV/AIDS. Others who know about the disease disregard it because it hasn’t touched them yet. There are a lot of churches in the black community and I don’t think that they have stepped up to confront this problem. When the pastor tells the congregation to do something, it gets done. If black churches can get more involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, it [would] help a lot.

But we must continue to push for personal responsibility. Everyone must know their status and get tested annually.” –as told to amir shaw

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