prairiefox

During sixth grade, I disclosed to my best friend at the time that I was HIV positive. Within just a few hours of telling her my HIV status I began being bullied because of it and within a few weeks my entire middle school knew. In eighth grade the bullying just got to the point where I no longer could handle being at the school, so I withdrew from the school and after I left I decided that I didn't want to have to see anyone else go through what I went through. So I began sharing my story and educating others on the disease to help reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS.

My mother is still alive and she is living a healthy life with her HIV. After everything I went through in middle school, it actually brought us closer. Now she is someone that I go to about anything. I didn't find out I was HIV positive until I was 12 years old. My mom planned on telling me earlier, but my father had passed away from an AIDS related illness and didn't want to scare me and wanted to make sure I would understand.

I found out because as I got older I started to have many questions on why I was taking medication and having to go to the doctor so much. I began to pay more attention at my doctors' appointments and would hear the word HIV. One day in fifth grade we were talking about HIV in class and I came home and asked my mom if I was HIV positive or negative and that's when she told me that I was positive, but I would be okay as long as I took my medication.

People should know that being HIV positive is no longer a death sentence. There's plenty of treatment out there for people with HIV. Also, that you can not tell by looking at someone that they are HIV positive. A lot of people believe that HIV can be spread through touch or saliva or sharing a drink with someone and that is NOT true. The only four bodily fluids HIV is passed through are blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk.

No it is not a for sure thing that my partner will contract HIV. There are many ways to prevent from passing on the disease, such as using a condom and also I was asked earlier about pre-exposure medication that is out there now. So that is also/can be an option. But also, it is harder for women to pass on HIV than it is for men to pass on HIV through sex.

I actually have not received any apologies from the kids that bullied me.