Katrina, 27
When I Found Out:
A day I will never forget. I found out 8/17/06 when I was 18 weeks pregnant with my last child. I was infected through unprotected sex.
The biggest challenge I deal with living with HIV:
I think the biggest challenge is disclosure. While I have had good luck disclosing with friends and family, not everyone is as quick to accept my status. Disclosure is especially hard in personal relationships. Also, some people are afraid to touch me or share a drink. I had a tattoo artist who wouldn't work on me because he was afraid of transmission.
What I've learned from living with HIV:
It can happen to anybody, even the "good girls." It only takes one act to change your life forever.
Who I thought HIV affected before I learned I was positive:
I did think that needle drug users and gay men were most commonly infected. I have met many people who are infected that fit into neither category and I have received quite a bit of education since then. Anybody is at risk.
What I want someone who is HIV negative to know about me:
I am a healthy and happy woman who believes that everything works out as it should. I think I was given this "gift" not as a punishment but as a responsibility. Being the person I am, I feel a responsibility to inform others and to try to prevent at least one person from having to deal with this.
What I want to tell young people who say HIV can't happen to them:
I was only unsafe once with a partner I had been with before. You can't rely on the other person to protect your best interests, or in this case, your health.
