Arlana Harris:
My journey with HIV began in 2009. At that
time I was dealing with substance abuse, I went into treatment to try to get my
life on the right track. Obviously a different path began my way.
A health
educator at the facility I was receiving treatment at, asked, “Did anyone want
an HIV test?” I said yes, only to the fact of getting out of one of my classes.
But I realized today that it was nothing but God leading me on another journey
that he wants me to explore in life. About a week later the educator pulled me
to the side and counselled me to let me know that I was HIV positive. At that
time, I felt my life was over. I wanted to give up but that inner voice within
myself said no, I have better things in store for you. During my journey it has
not always been easy. I have dealt with guilt and depression among other things
that I felt might have hindered my progress as a normal person.
As I learned
more about the virus that I have, I learned that I can be an asset to the
cause. I educated myself about the virus and also learned how to be an advocate
for the cause. Through working with the Chicago Women’s AIDS Project has been a
very rewarding experience. It has taken me to new platforms that I felt that
couldn’t be reached. With that, I would like to encourage others to get to know
their status, educate themselves and be an advocate to help reduce the
contraction of the HIV/AIDS virus. Furthermore, through investigation I have
learned that our communities and resources are in need of finances to help the
women who need the encouragement, empowerment and education to also help fight
the virus at hand.
