Rae Lewis-Thornton - HIV/AIDS Activist Living, Thriving And Surviving
I had the great pleasure many years ago to hear AIDS activist and now Baptist minister, Rae Lewis-Thornton. speak at a university. Ms. Thornton was diagnosed HIV positive in 1986 and developed full-blown AIDS in 1992. She has been an outspoken advocate for HIV prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment and ending discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. Minister Thornton is lending her name and her voice to a special clinical trial that will study and evaluate gender and race differences in response to an HIV mediation. Read more about her current activism here.
Ms. Thornton's story is our story. She contracted the HIV virus as a college student. She was and still is a Christian woman, who only dated "the best." Her diagnosis came as a complete shock to her. Many of us could have been in the same exact situation. Minister Thornton has represented for many years a point of view in the AIDS/HIV battle that has been grossly overlooked - the plight of the HIV positive black woman. She pulls no punches about her story or her illness. She is truly one brave sista - a survivor. She deserves our attention, not only for her sake, but for ours.
According to latest statistics, AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25-34. This is a changeable and preventable statistic! If you have not been tested, get tested! Only engage in safe sex practices. Know your partner! If you love yourself, protect yourself!
4 comments:
thank you prof tracey for this story about ms. rae lewis-thornton. such courage that lives withn her!
this is very encouraging and i will share this with others that will benefit.
even if they don't think they will--they will!
i have lost many friends to aids--some i watched die while living.
though i have not personally known any women that have hiv or aids-i stand firmly that ALL 'should' be treated with the meds fairly- but of course i have issue with the entire
'pharma-pseudo plantations'
-not just with the ones that make hiv/aids meds. ALL of them need to be brought to an inquisition and held accountable for their actions toward all people!
and next in line would be the insurance companies.
ok, that is for another post :D
Yes Professor Tracy,
I attended a women's health seminar and learned that most of those young women who are dying of HIV, contracted the virus in their teens -- through sex with older, more experienced boys/men.
We have GOT to start protecting teenage girls, who do not have the wisdom nor the power in those kinds relationships to protect themseves. It is NOT normal for a 15 year old girl to have a 20 year old boyfriend, and so on.
shecodes said = "We have GOT to start protecting teenage girls, who do not have the wisdom nor the power in those kinds relationships to protect themseves. ***It is NOT normal for a 15 year old girl to have a 20 year old boyfriend, and so on."
----------------
now that is true- and i felt the same way as you do and i would voice it when 15 and 16 yr. olds would proudly bounce up to my desk to tell me about their 'new' boyfriends.
after i heard how old the boy was--i always asked the girl-does your mother now about you and this boy?
and more times than i would like to remember, the girl would say, 'oh yes-she knows.' my heart would sink.
i have even had them tell me that the mother let him move in!--of course my mind then went to--ok what is wrong with this pic? what is this guy doing, double duty?
just nasty.
my point = i still feel that they need to be protected at those 'young living at home ages', but we need to keep in mind that the mother may know all about it-and it's very difficult to change a childs mind when their parents have 'That much/That kind' of influence over them.
a different approach is wanted.
opps..sorry-- is 'warrented'
Post a Comment