Has dealing with HIV empowered you in ways you wouldn't have expected?

After I was diagnosed, I did not feel at all empowered. I simply felt sick and defeated. I thought I was going to die very soon. The most powerful feeling I had at the time was one of total fear. Fear that people would reject me and stigmatize me, which would further isolate me from my family and from my fellow Latinos.

However, the most empowering experience came from attending the support group at the hospital - a support group for Latinos both infected and affected with the virus. I was amazed that I was not alone in living with this illness. There were other people there who spoke my language, who understood all the various feelings that were going through my heart and mind and who were changing their lives in a way that brought them better mental and physical health.

It was through the group that I first learned to not be afraid to speak up about what I was feeling and thinking. Others in the group helped me to not be afraid. Eventually I was able to participate in health fairs that were directed to the Latino community for the prevention of HIV. I began to attend these events and learned how to talk to people about the importance of prevention. I certainly wished someone had been able to talk to me about how to prevent my illness but there was no one to do this before I became infected. Now I am not afraid anymore to speak publicly about my illness with the hope that others will learn how to prevent being infected with HIV.