How My HIV Diagnosis Led to a Positive Career Change

It has been nine years since I have been diagnosed with HIV. I cannot believe how fast the time flew right on by. It was nine years ago when I got the news that I thought at the time would change my life completely in a negative way.

Little did I know that my diagnosis would bring such a positive change to my life and wellbeing.

It was right before my 21st birthday when I got the news that really put my life into perspective. After my HIV diagnosis, I started volunteering at a local HIV/AIDS organization and my love and passion for the work really flourished.

I quickly knew that I wanted to change career paths and dove headfirst into the field.

Using my HIV diagnosis to shift careers and help others

Whenever I think about the anniversary of my diagnosis, I always think about where I would be if I did not receive that news. Would I be happy with my life? To be completely transparent, I was a supervisor at a retail store when I found out and was not happy with how my career path was looking. Would I still be there, unhappy?

Fast forward nine years later, and I've held several positions within the field of public health all working towards ending the HIV epidemic. My journey in this field has been as a Health Educator, Prevention Training Specialist, Outreach Coordinator, Program Supervisor, and now a Senior Program Manager.

Breaking barriers and HIV stigma

I continue to use my positive diagnosis to elevate myself in the community and show people that they can face the stigma. I want to use my writing to not only express my thoughts and feelings, but also as a way to further connect with my community through my words and lived experiences.

I hope that those currently living with HIV (like me) can see their anniversary each year as a triumph they've had. I want them to see it as an accomplishment of facing the world and living as their authentic self.

I have gone through so many things these last nine years. I've had both highs and lows as well as wins and losses. There have been times when I have cried due to laughter and joy, but also times when I have just cried.

I do not know if life gets easier each year, but what I do know is that we each get stronger with each year.

My future goals in health advocacy and community work

I did not know that my path in life would lead me to health advocacy work, but I knew I wanted a career. A career where my work made a difference in my community, where I could be someone that my community trusted, respected, and admired.

My journey is not yet over. Believe me when I say that this is just the beginning. My future endeavors include more public speaking at conferences across the globe.

I would love to be able to not only write these types of articles but to speak to groups of people about living with HIV as well as create safer spaces for LGBTQ+ communities of color.