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!
