Resources

Voices of Community

Stories from people living with HIV and community leaders on the front lines of the epidemic — in their own words.

Voices of Community
June 1, 2026

From Crisis to Community: Why HIV Work Continues to Demand Our Attention

There are moments in life that divide everything into “before” and “after.” For me, that moment came in my early twenties, sitting in the kitchen as I learned I had AIDS. The diagnosis changed everything. What followed was fear, isolation, and uncertainty. At times, it felt like everything I thought

Voices of Community
May 4, 2026

We Call Them “Hard to Reach.” They Just Don’t Respond to Us.

I’ve watched the same people we call “hard to reach” show up, engage, and respond. Just not to us. That’s what made me start questioning the way we talk about this work, because the issue isn’t always access or awareness. Sometimes it’s whether what we’re putting out actually feels relevant when it

Voices of Community
February 2, 2026

Voices of Community: Where Love and Power Meet

In a dishonorable world, are the honorable at a disadvantage? I was at a leadership retreat a few years ago when I was first asked this question, and ever since, it has been ringing in my ears. The surface answer seems to be yes, but I believe the truer answer is more unsettling. Honorable people ar

Voices of Community
December 1, 2025

Voices of Community: When Silence Becomes Stigma: The Cost of Misinformation in Our Communities

When we talk about sex education, it often looks well-rounded on paper. The curriculum lists lessons on anatomy, puberty, boundaries, consent, and even HIV, but in reality, it’s more of a brush-over than a real conversation. Sex education isn’t just about “STD basics.” It’s about understanding, comm

Voices of Community
November 3, 2025

Voices of Community: From Margin to Mandate: Centering Women of Color in HIV Leadership

The story of HIV in America is, at its core, the story of inequities. It has always been more than a virus. It is about who has access to healthcare, who is silenced by stigma, and who is left out of the rooms where decisions are made. And even in our own sector, which champions equity, leadership s

Voices of Community
November 3, 2025

All Eyes on Memphis

On October 15, 2025, the Shelby County Health Department hosted its Second Annual HIV Summit, gathering leaders, clinicians, and service workers from across the Memphis metro area. The convening came at a critical moment. Across the country – and especially in Shelby County – HIV service organizatio

Voices of Community
October 29, 2025

The Third Weekend of January: A Story of Breast Cancer, HIV, and Black Women’s Resilience

The third weekend of January, I will always hold it in my heart. I was headed home with my best friend to see my mom, and it would be a weekend full of laughter and good food. However, when I got there, she sat me down and told me something I will never forget. During her October mammogram, they fou

Voices of Community
October 2, 2025

Fighting for Our Lives: A Call to Action for HIV and Health Equity Justice

We are fighting for survival—plain and simple. I’ve been living with HIV for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s, during an era overshadowed by fear, stigma, and silence about the epidemic, even knowing your status could lead to rejection by family, community, and healthcare providers. As a trans

Voices of Community
October 1, 2025

Voices of Community: Carrying Our Stories, Building Our Futures

The "Voices of Community" blog is more than a platform, it is a promise. A promise that our stories, in all their complexity and truth, will shape the narrative of HIV advocacy. By telling our own stories, we ensure that the future of this movement is not written for us, but by us. Carrying Our Stor

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