Don't Give Up on Love!

I know that the thought for some of us women who are living with HIV is finding love and being in a relationship but for some, it is the last thing on our minds. I have met women who have given up on even addressing the subject and many of them have not been in a relationship since their diagnosis.

There are many varied reasons why. Some of the women say that they just do not want to disclose their HIV diagnosis because they are ashamed. Some women say that it is because they are afraid that they may transmit HIV, or I hear what if a man will not accept me and how about I don't want to be rejected?

Why are you ashamed?

None of us asked for an HIV diagnosis. We must dig deep down and ask ourselves why we are ashamed and who told us that we are supposed to be afraid to live in our truth.

Why do we take what we hear people say about HIV and believe it? When you look at yourself in the mirror you see beauty, strength, resilience, and an amazing woman looking right back at you. Don't you ever think otherwise about yourself!

Honesty is the best policy

Believe it or not, but men may respect you more for being honest with them and sharing something that seems so hard to talk about. You deserve to be loved and to be in love, you are worthy of love too. Once you realize this it will become so much easier to tell that person you are interested in.

It may seem like an extremely challenging task to do, but each time you do it - it becomes easier to let it out. We were all created to love someone and be in a relationship, do not let HIV stop you from that.

Disclosing can be difficult, and I know that everyone is not the same so share when you are ready to share, but also know that you should keep living your life. Do not let an HIV diagnosis stop you from doing that. We sometimes focus too much on what that person may say or how they will see us after we tell them. Educate yourself on HIV so that it can be easier for you to talk about it just in case they do have questions to ask.

Don't give up on what could be

You will be surprised at how many men will accept you. The ones that don't - it just means they were not meant to be in your life. I want you to know that there is someone out there for you, but you will never know if you do not take that leap of faith and try.

Don't give up on yourself, don't give up on relationships, and do not close that door to find the one who could be for you. Please don't give up on what could be.

Do not give up on the love that is out there - waiting on you.

Are you in a mixed-status relationship? What steps or tips do you utilize to keep yourself and your partner safe? Share your expertise with the community in the forums!