What Black Women Living With HIV Want You to Know About HIV/AIDS

March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

Women Living With HIV/AIDS Sound Off - In honor of National Women and Girl’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, BET.com reached out to Black women living with HIV/AIDS to ask, “What do you want the community to know about HIV/AIDS?” Read these amazing women’s responses. — Kellee Terrell(Photos from Left to Right, Courtesy of: M.G.O., Michelle Anderson, Gina Marie Brown) 

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Women Living With HIV/AIDS Sound Off - In honor of National Women and Girl’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, BET.com reached out to Black women living with HIV/AIDS to ask, “What do you want the community to know about HIV/AIDS?” Read these amazing women’s responses. — Kellee Terrell(Photos from Left to Right, Courtesy of: M.G.O., Michelle Anderson, Gina Marie Brown) 

Lynn T. Kidd, M.Ed., Ohio - Black Americans need to know that HIV/AIDS affects all humans, regardless of sexual orientation, age, race or socio-economic level. More importantly, HIV is 100 percent preventable. We need to protect, respect and educate ourselves to help reduce the rates of infection and understand how HIV can be contracted. (Photo: courtesy Lynn T. Kidd, M. Ed.) 

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Lynn T. Kidd, M.Ed., Ohio - Black Americans need to know that HIV/AIDS affects all humans, regardless of sexual orientation, age, race or socio-economic level. More importantly, HIV is 100 percent preventable. We need to protect, respect and educate ourselves to help reduce the rates of infection and understand how HIV can be contracted. (Photo: courtesy Lynn T. Kidd, M. Ed.) 

Rashayne Johnson, Florida - STIGMA = HATE= LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. Having knowledge of legitimate information can help dissolve stigma. When you know the real deal about HIV/AIDS, you are more mindful of not only your actions, but your choice of words when speaking about HIV or to people living with HIV/AIDS.  Remember: We don't have a certain look (as the old myth has lead many to believe), there's no way of knowing if someone you are speaking with has the virus or not. You cannot tell by just looking at them. (Photo: courtesy Rashayne Johnson) 

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Rashayne Johnson, Florida - STIGMA = HATE= LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. Having knowledge of legitimate information can help dissolve stigma. When you know the real deal about HIV/AIDS, you are more mindful of not only your actions, but your choice of words when speaking about HIV or to people living with HIV/AIDS.  Remember: We don't have a certain look (as the old myth has lead many to believe), there's no way of knowing if someone you are speaking with has the virus or not. You cannot tell by just looking at them. (Photo: courtesy Rashayne Johnson) 

Tranisha Arzah, Washington - I want to tell other positive women out there that you only have a virus, you are not the virus. You didn't do anything wrong and you don't have anything to apologize for [by] simply being HIV positive.And for women who are negative, please get tested regularly, know your status and ask the really important questions before engaging in sex. (Photo: courtesy Tranisha Arzah) 

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Tranisha Arzah, Washington - I want to tell other positive women out there that you only have a virus, you are not the virus. You didn't do anything wrong and you don't have anything to apologize for [by] simply being HIV positive.And for women who are negative, please get tested regularly, know your status and ask the really important questions before engaging in sex. (Photo: courtesy Tranisha Arzah) 

Gina Marie Brown, Louisiana - People need to know that 1 in 4 people living with HIV is a woman and yet only half of women and girls between 13-64 have been tested for HIV. Also Black women account for 64 percent of all women diagnosed with HIV. That means that 1 in 32 Black women will be diagnosed with HIV in her lifetime and most of these infections happen through heterosexual sex. This is why you need to get tested, know your status, use condoms, limit sexual partners and get routine check-ups.  (Photo: courtesy Gina Marie Brown) 

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Gina Marie Brown, Louisiana - People need to know that 1 in 4 people living with HIV is a woman and yet only half of women and girls between 13-64 have been tested for HIV. Also Black women account for 64 percent of all women diagnosed with HIV. That means that 1 in 32 Black women will be diagnosed with HIV in her lifetime and most of these infections happen through heterosexual sex. This is why you need to get tested, know your status, use condoms, limit sexual partners and get routine check-ups.  (Photo: courtesy Gina Marie Brown) 

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Joyce Turner Keller, Louisiana - Ignorance appears to be the order of the day despite years of PSAs, educational literature and spokeswomen like myself who have become the public face of the epidemic.We still have this perception that a certain segment of the population is responsible for the spreading of the HIV virus. And that has to stop. We need to talk more openly about sexuality and gender and raise our voices voice against shame, blame and alienation.(Photo: courtesy Joyce Turner Keller) 

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Joyce Turner Keller, Louisiana - Ignorance appears to be the order of the day despite years of PSAs, educational literature and spokeswomen like myself who have become the public face of the epidemic.We still have this perception that a certain segment of the population is responsible for the spreading of the HIV virus. And that has to stop. We need to talk more openly about sexuality and gender and raise our voices voice against shame, blame and alienation.(Photo: courtesy Joyce Turner Keller) 

Sharon Decuir, Louisiana - I want my community to know that receiving an HIV/AIDS diagnosis is no longer a death sentence like it used to be. Thanks to medications, you can live a full, productive, amazing life. Once, positive women were warned to not get pregnant, and now I see so many women giving birth to HIV-negative babies all the time. We have come a long way. (Photo: courtesy Sharon Decuir) 

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Sharon Decuir, Louisiana - I want my community to know that receiving an HIV/AIDS diagnosis is no longer a death sentence like it used to be. Thanks to medications, you can live a full, productive, amazing life. Once, positive women were warned to not get pregnant, and now I see so many women giving birth to HIV-negative babies all the time. We have come a long way. (Photo: courtesy Sharon Decuir) 

Elizabeth Fernandez, New York - HIV does not discriminate but people do. Stigma is real.Over the years after testing positive, I have become an advocate, and I have learned many new strategies about harm reduction that can really save lives. I know by working together, we can end AIDS [and] provide treatment and proper housing to all people living with HIV/AIDS. This dream is not impossible.  (Photo: courtesy Elizabeth Fernandez) 

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Elizabeth Fernandez, New York - HIV does not discriminate but people do. Stigma is real.Over the years after testing positive, I have become an advocate, and I have learned many new strategies about harm reduction that can really save lives. I know by working together, we can end AIDS [and] provide treatment and proper housing to all people living with HIV/AIDS. This dream is not impossible.  (Photo: courtesy Elizabeth Fernandez) 

Michelle Anderson, Texas - HIV has no respect for people. It doesn't care if you're educated, married, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. Doing something wrong or different never warrants HIV infection. Ignorance will.(Photo: courtesy Michelle Anderson) 

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Michelle Anderson, Texas - HIV has no respect for people. It doesn't care if you're educated, married, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. Doing something wrong or different never warrants HIV infection. Ignorance will.(Photo: courtesy Michelle Anderson) 

Mina, Texas - I was born with HIV and I want people to know that HIV is not the worst thing in the world. Girls and women with HIV are a lot like you are; HIV is just one part of my everyday routine. Also, you cannot get HIV or transmit HIV just by touching or hugging a person, or through their saliva, sweat or any stuff like that. I am just like you. (Photo: courtesy M.G.O.) 

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Mina, Texas - I was born with HIV and I want people to know that HIV is not the worst thing in the world. Girls and women with HIV are a lot like you are; HIV is just one part of my everyday routine. Also, you cannot get HIV or transmit HIV just by touching or hugging a person, or through their saliva, sweat or any stuff like that. I am just like you. (Photo: courtesy M.G.O.)