Hello hi I’m Freda. I’m 41 years old, yes I’m 41. I just look young. 2002 is when I found out my status. I found out I was living with the virus. It was a scary moment when I first found out but I didn’t soak in it. I just said, “Wow I need to educate myself .” so that when I can do something to help. I work for private doctor’s office that offers counseling to HIV-positive individuals. My job is basically educating them about HIV and helping and live a longer life, you know, by being compliant to the medication and being that support to them. HIV is so on the rise now. It’s not only affecting men. It’s affecting women as well, you know, professional women not just someone that’s out there you know using drugs. It’s affecting mothers, you know women in the church, it don’t discriminate. It’s affecting married women. I get married women in my office and say, “I didn’t know my husband was positive” you know and they married. HIV is 100% preventable zero percent curable so there’s enough of us out here already living with the virus so you don’t have to be added to it.
When Freda found out that she had HIV, she didn’t sit around – she sprang into action and got educated. She has committed her life to helping other women living with HIV get the care and help that they deserve and need.
