I was living on my own, 17, pregnant, didn’t depend on anybody, working hard and just trying to make a life for my child at that time.
To go into the doctor’s appointment and just have my life turned around, I mean, it was scary at first.
I knew that I had to be responsible for me. You can send me to all the doctors that you want to, but it’s up to you to be responsible for yourself. So it was my job to seek out help and know that I needed treatment – what medications I could take, what medications I couldn’t take, and educating myself so that way my children could be HIV-negative.
I started telling my children when they were very young. I let them, you know, know how I contracted it, and I let them know how to be safe. I don’t sugar-coat and I never will sugar-coat.
I never I thought in a million years I would get married. I just felt then once I told someone my status, it was going to be a problem.
James is HIV-negative, and I disclosed my status to him actually on our first lunch date. I knew that as an adult, I had the responsibility of letting this person know my status. So, before he took his first bite of his sandwich, I just said, you know, I told him, I’m HIV-positive.
His reaction was just, okay. You know, we’ll talk about it and we’ll discuss it as time goes on. You can educate me more about it. He had a very positive and uplifting tone about the whole conversation.
For me, I get my empowerment from my family. They are my, they are my rock especially my daughter. She is my sunshine.
And when I look at her, I realize that next generation.
After learning she had HIV as a teenager, Eva made it her responsibility to take control of her health by seeking treatment and support. Eva is living her life to the fullest today and is breaking barriers for women with HIV.
Take charge of your health! Connecting with a healthcare provider whom you trust and can talk with is the first step to getting the right care. Maintain a regular schedule of health check-ups and make talking about HIV part of that routine. Click here to find a provider near you.
