Being Positive, Living Positive

So, today I did something for the first time, something that only a month ago most of you would have thought I would never do. Not only did I do it; I did it for 9 hours straight. The big V-word. No, not Vagina....god knows I would never do that :) But VOLUNTEER WORK. I started today and I have to say I feel more rewarded inside today then I do anytime I ever come home from Chili's or any other job. I am actually going to be volunteering 12 hours a week at the Long Beach AIDS Foundation. Right now our main focus is getting prepped for the Long Beach 5k AIDS walk. I'm starting a team, and I am building a donation page. I will let everyone know more about it when it gets off the ground, but if everyone could donate something, $5, 10$, whatever it will help SO MUCH. It's a great cause, the money raised goes directly to helping the HIV/AIDS community, with less than 10% being used to cover the expenses of fundraising, which is a phenominally low percentage. I learned today that most of the people out there ringing bells in front of stores for donations make more money than the cause in which they are raising for. 60 cents of ever dollar donated to those causes are to pay the people standing out there, while the foundation raising the money only sees 40 cents. Your dollar will go MUCH, MUCH further with any donations you can provide. Also, being 21 and just finding out I am HIV+, you can imagine how much this cause now impacts me, as it also impacts those close to me who have been affected emotionally by my diagnosis. Alright, enough commercialization. Don't worry though, there will be plenty more soon enough!

So for those of you who I haven't talked to lately, or on a regular basis, I want you to be assured that I am mentally/emotionally okay now. I spent my few days breaking down, a few more picking back up the pieces, and then a day or two deciding where to go from there. I decided that I want to take a very proactive role in battling this. It is the coping method I adopted because I know it will work. I feel more motivated than I ever have to really make an impact. I have already had several meetings with HIV counselors, went to a few different HIV+ groups (including one for people in my age range who have been newly diagnosed), I will be speaking at an HIV panel on campus, I am planning to start an HIV-awareness group on campus, and I plan to venture out to other opportunites in order to educate, reassure, and raise awareness. It is surprising that in Long Beach, which has the 2nd highest transmission rate in CA, there are very few support groups or awareness groups. And the ones that are here don't even meet on a regular basis for the most part. I think that's ridiculous that on a campus of 40,000 people CSULB does not have a HIV-awareness group.

Here are some stats to startle you, as found at CDC.gov:

% of 13-29 year olds NEWLY diagnosed with HIV in 2006: 28.3% of all new diagnosis that year
% of NEWLY diagnosed with HIV in 2006 based on sexual preference: GAY-49% Straight-33% The rest were IV drug users...
% of 15-24 who ARE HIV+ that DO NOT know that they are so: 48%

Crazy statistics. Those, mixed with my own diagnoses, is why I want to WORK for the cause, instead of letting HIV work me over. Alright it's bedtime. Please, think about those statisics though, and remember them when you are about to have sex with someone who doesn't want to use a condom.