Community Health Leaders
In order to stay up to date on latest treatments, drug discovery, clinical studies and how to cope with HIV every day, H-I-V.net brings you frequent articles, points of view and advice from health leaders and experts.
Current health leaders
Khafre Kujichagulia Abif
Khafre Kujichagulia Abif is an Atlanta based, nationally recognized HIV, Bisexual, Social Justice activist who has been living with HIV for 30 years. Khafre is the editor of two anthologies, Cornbread, Fish and Collard Greens: Prayers, Poems & Affirmations for People Living with HIV/AIDS (Author House 2013) and Sistah’s Speak (Author House 2017). Read more.
Gwenn Barringer
Gwenn Barringer is an internationally recognized HIV educator and activist. For over 20 years, along with her partner, Shawn Decker they have been educating together, using their relationship as a way to talk about the issues of sexual health.
Robert Brunet
Robert Brunet is a long term survivor of HIV. Diagnosed with an opportunistic infection in 1991 his first decade as a person living with HIV was filled with activism and advocacy. Read more.
Steven Campa
Steven Campa is a proud and confident HIV positive gay man. He has been living with HIV since April 2014. Shortly after his diagnosis, he started volunteering at a local community center around HIV prevention. After volunteering for a few months Steven was able to get into the field of Public Health and become a certified HIV tester & counselor for LA County. A few organizations that he has worked for are the Whittier Rio Hondo AIDS Project, AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Read more.
Davina Conner
Davina Conner was diagnosed with HIV 22 years ago a mother of two beautiful daughters who are 18 and 28 years old. When she was pregnant with her youngest daughter, she almost aborted the pregnancy in fear she would be HIV positive. But because of an HIV specialist who convinced her otherwise, she gave birth to a baby girl who was born HIV negative. Read more.
Brooke Davidoff
Brooke grew up in San Diego, CA where she majored in Journalism and Theatre at Palomar College in the 90’s. Read more.
Shawn Decker
Shawn Decker is an internationally recognized health educator who has spoken to over 100,000 college students across the United States. After graduating from high school, he created one of the first blogs on the internet in 1996. Read more.
Damon L. Jacobs
Damon L. Jacobs is a New York-based Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and HIV prevention specialist who focuses his work on healthy aging, sexual wellness, relationships, and harm-reduction. He is the author of two books titled, "Absolutely Should-less" and "Rational Relating."
Daniel Garza
Daniel G Garza has been a Patient Leader for over 20 years. He speaks publicly about his HIV diagnosis in September of 2000, Anal Cancer in May 2015, and an Ostomy in April 2016. Daniel shares his story on social media, through several campaigns such as Positively Fearless, volunteers for organizations such as Radiant Health Centers and works with WEGO Health and NMAC as a consultant. Read more.
Bridget Gawinowicz
Bridget is a queer yoga and meditation teacher living in Philadelphia. She's been practicing yoga for over 12 years and became a 200-hour certified yoga instructor in August 2019. She is committed to making yoga accessible for every person, at every stage of their lives, at every size. Read more.
DeKeitra Griffin
DeKeitra Griffin, licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), started as an advocate for HIV/AIDS as a senior in high school by taking friends to their appointments and becoming informed about HIV. He volunteered with local organizations in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, and continued the service while attending school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read more.
Michael A. Hellman
Michael A. Hellman is a devoted activist for people living with HIV and a long-term survivor of over 30 years. Professionally, Mike was a senior project manager in human relations in banking. He has delivered HIV 101 along with his story to over 100 thousand health students across western Pennsylvania. Read more.
Kalvin Pugh
Kalvin Pugh is an award-winning HIV advocate, musician, and currently serves as the Senior Advisor on Community Engagement at the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. He was diagnosed HIV+ in 2016, not finding many young people online talking about thriving with HIV and following the death of the late Carrie Fischer who advocated to speak your weak things with a loud voice and that your secrets make you sick. Read more.
Heather Renee
Heather Renee found out about being positive when an HIV opportunistic infection almost took her life in October of 2017. Read more.
Jerilyn Ward
Jerilyn Ward has been HIV Positive for over 20 years as of February 2021. Jerilyn and her husband's story is not unique, but one that needs a place to be expressed more openly: YOU CAN BE MARRIED and be HIV Positive. They are living advocates for Heterosexual Couples as examples of how to live a happy, healthy life. Read more.
Robert Ward
Robert Ward has been HIV Positive for over 20 years as of February 2021. Robert and his wife's story is not unique, but one that needs a place to be expressed more openly: YOU CAN BE MARRIED and be HIV Positive. They are living advocates for Heterosexual Couples as examples of how to live a happy, healthy life. Read more.
Katie Willingham
Katie Adsila Willingham is a bisexual two-spirit woman of transgender identity from rural north Alabama. Diagnosed with AIDS in mid June, of 2000 but achieved an undetectable viral load status within a year of her diagnosis; however, given an initial diagnosis of a year to live and uneducated about what U equals U means she spent over ten years waiting for her mortality and borrowed time to run out. Read more.
Former health leaders
Marz Albarran
I am Mars, they/them pronouns please. I’ve been alive 31 years and was born HIV+ in 1988. I was raised in inner city Chicago, Humboldt Park to be exact. It was a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood, so I fit right in. I was adopted into a strict, conservative household. Read more.
Guy Anthony
Guy Anthony is a well-respected HIV/AIDS activist, community leader and author. Diagnosed with HIV as a teen, Guy has dedicated his adult life to the pursuit of neutralizing local and global HIV/AIDS-related stigmatization. He released Pos(+)tively Beautiful: Affirmations, Advocacy & Advice on World AIDS Day in 2012. Read more.
Robert Breining
Robert's goal has always been to connect positive people with one another by offering them a safe space to share openly about HIV. POZ I AM Radio does just that. Read more.
Idy Ekpe
Idy is a pharmacist with a background in addiction medicine and mental health. She currently works with vulnerable populations and has a special interest in lessening barriers to accessing essential medical care. Read more.
Ivy Farina
As a trans woman, I understand how difficult it can be to navigate the healthcare industry, community ignorance, and society-wide stigma all while simply trying to survive. Read more.
Quincy Greene
Quincy Greene was born in Georgetown, Guyana and immigrated to the United States as an infant with his family. He grew up in Brooklyn, NY and attended Bronx High School of Science. He moved to Philadelphia after high school. Read more.
Casey Krueger
I, Casey Krueger, have been living with HIV my entire life. Born from humble beginnings in Los Angeles County, California, life has led me down a twisting path of tragedy and success. Read more.
Kamaria Laffrey
Living with Black Girl Magic, HIV, and chronic optimism, Kamaria Laffrey is a woman living with HIV choosing to share her journey of pre-diagnosis to freedom from stigma focused on providing individuals and groups with platforms to have conversations to change the stigma related to HIV/AIDS. Read more.
JD Lee
JD Lee is a financial professional and a family man. He was diagnosed as HIV+ in 2007 and after realizing that life goes on decided to make the most of the situation. One of the ways he would like to do that is by endeavoring to be an encouragement to others. Read more.
Octavia Y. Lewis
Octavia Y. Lewis, MPA is an Activist, Advocate, Humanitarian, Mother and Scholar. Octavia is the Transgender Health Coordinator for the TransWellness Centers at Montefiore, which specializes in a holistic approach to healthcare for TGNC people in the Bronx and Beyond. Read more.
Nicholas Maio
Nicholas Maio-Aether, MSPSY, BCBA, LBA is a Licensed Sexual Behavior Analyst and Sex Therapist at Empowered: A Center for Sexuality LLC. Nicholas began providing Sexuality Education at age 16 and was diagnosed with HIV at 22 in 2009 with a T-Cell count of 199, having admittedly not taken his own advice. Read more.
Shaina Mitchell, MPH
Shaina, originally from CT, moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University in 2007 and has been residing here ever since! She received a Masters in Public Health degree in 2013 with a concentration in Community Heath and is a Certified Heath Education Specialist (CHES). Read more.
JT Otis
My name is J.T. I am an artist/creator and advocate for my brothers and sisters living with H.I.V. I wish to share with you stories from people of all walks of life who are involved in this community of change makers. Read more.
Jahlove Serrano
Jahlove Serrano is a health educator youth advocate HIV/AIDS activist androgynous model/runway coach /Drag Queen/background dancer/and choreographer to the stars. He’s a Guatemalan/American native of Bronx New York. Read more.
Dr. Audrey Sheridan
I am a board-certified OBGYN doctor-turned-caretaker for my dad. I decided to pursue a medical career after a college year abroad in Nepal showed me the need for accessible, compassionate, and thoughtful healthcare, especially for women. It’s been my privilege to have my patients share their stories with me. Read more.
Kiy'Ziah Vaughn
As a black transgender womxn current sex-worker, human rights leader, public-speaker, public-figure, pro-politics, organizer, activist, and film-producer working on the documentary POLICING OUR BODIES has given me a creative way to share my life experience walking as a black transgender womxn. Read more.
Zora Voyce
My name is Zora Voyce, and I was born with HIV on January 10th, 1997. On my 23rd birthday, I became open to the public on social media about my status to better advocate for the positive representation of individuals living with HIV in the mass media along with supporting sex-positive sexual education. Read more.
Ze
Hi, my name is Ze. I'm in my late twenties with an amazing son, which I will probably mention a lot in aspects of my life. My son is the best thing to ever have happened to me and has taught me so much, unconditional love. I was given a new stepping stone in my crazy life road in 2017, and that was my diagnosis of HIV. Read more.
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