HIV and AIDS are ugly acronyms.
Like, I can admit to my own self that they absolutely are.
We don’t want to talk about them. We don’t want to know anyone with either one of ’em.
We would probably just like to pretend it ain’t something like 1,000,000 people living with HIV in the U.S.
But how can you?
In the space of helping to end HIV-related stigma, I am a firm believer in the concept of desensitization.
My poor friends on social media have been hit at a forceful speed by all of my desensitizing tactics.
Attack that beast head on Ci Ci:
I HAVE HIV
I have HIV
i have hIv
i have hiv
The first time I blurted out HIV, it probably surprised a few folks. Expected.
But this is the best part because it weeds people out early.
At this point either the other person is going to:
a). leave ✌🏾
or
b). stay around – even if it is just out of curiosity.
But the one who stays around, for whatever reason, is another person that I can potentially educate about HIV.
Tip: Knowledge is free.
I have the ability to change someone’s entire outlook on what it is like to live with HIV.
You thought HIV was skinny?
Well, I’m a BBW. So that can’t be true. 🙄
Maybe before me, a person had many other misconceptions of what it meant to live with HIV.
Maybe this person thought that if someone living with HIV were to spit on them, they would contract the virus.
But see, that would be a negative. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) even said that is not true. To be more specific, they said, “HIV isn’t spread through saliva.”
Maybe this person thought that if a woman living with HIV were to have a baby, that baby would be HIV positive as well.
Welp, I’m here to tell you that that’s not true either. I had Zion almost 8 years ago and pushed him out of my vagina. And he’s cool.
By cool, we talking about my little guy took 3 HIV tests before he was 3 and they were all negative!
Maybe that person didn’t even know what HIV meant or what it does.
I can help with that too.
You see, I have already mentioned HIV in this post 19 times.
The damage is done already. I have subconsciously opened up a part in your thoughts. Maybe even piqued an interest.
I could have lost you at the beginning of this post but I didn’t.
Thank you! ❤️
Thank you for being open-minded and curious enough to stick it out.
And guess what?
We need more people like you.
What not to do: Do NOT just stand back and accept the miseducation of our people. Once you are aware of something, accept your responsibility to correct it.
Welp, I HAVE HIV!
… and now that makes 20.
+ Ci Ci +
I will go first. 