“Why Would You Want to Get an HIV Test…?”
By Barb Cardell, PWN-USA Board Chair The world of HIV looks very different today than it did when I first tested positive back in 1993. Trust me: That is a very, very good thing. Barb Cardell. In 1993 [...]
Write About HIV Disclosure as the Complicated Issue it Is
This is Part 5 of the five-part statement "Five Things Media Makers Can Do NOW to Stand Up to HIV Stigma." Read the full statement as a single article A person’s choice to tell someone their HIV status is complicated. [...]
There Are Facts and Fictions about HIV. Choose Facts.
This is Part 4 of the five-part statement "Five Things Media Makers Can Do NOW to Stand Up to HIV Stigma." Read the full statement as a single article There are facts and there are fictions about HIV. Choose facts. It [...]
Talk to Women Living with HIV
This is Part 3 of the five-part statement "Five Things Media Makers Can Do NOW to Stand Up to HIV Stigma." Read the full statement as a single article HIV is not just a man’s issue; it never has been. Talk [...]
Put the “Living” in “People Living with HIV”
This is Part 2 of the five-part statement "Five Things Media Makers Can Do NOW to Stand Up to HIV Stigma." Read the full statement as a single article #WeAreAllPeople: Put the “Living” in “People Living with HIV” From the beginning [...]
Watch Your Language!
This is Part 1 of the five-part statement "Five Things Media Makers Can Do NOW to Stand Up to HIV Stigma." Read the full statement as a single article Watch your language! The stigma attached to HIV is a significant barrier to living [...]
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Updating the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Vote for the Recommendations Most Vital to Women with HIV!
Can you believe it's been almost FIVE YEARS since the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) was released in July 2010? The NHAS is a plan created under President Obama to comprehensively address the domestic HIV epidemic. The first NHAS included [...]
#HIVisNOTaCrime in Texas or Anywhere: Urgent Help Request
This piece is adapted from a version originally posted on Advocacy Without Borders’ blog. WE NEED YOUR HELP. BADLY. I have written before about HIV criminalization, here and here. Most recently, though, when I have written about it I have [...]
We Stand with Michael Johnson: HIV Is Not a Crime
HIV and Justice Organizations Stand with Michael Johnson and All Black Gay Men, and Condemn Laws Criminalizing HIV-Positive Status As organizations committed to human rights, social justice, and dignity for people living with and vulnerable to HIV, we release this [...]
PWN-USA Teams with Healthcare Providers to Release New Model for Trauma-Informed Care
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford – oford@pwn-usa.org – 347.553.5174 May 6, 2015 – Today, Positive Women’s Network – USA (PWN-USA), a national membership body of women with HIV, is proud to announce the release of a new model for [...]
One Ounce of Truth: The Collective Power of AIDSWatch 2015
By Susan Mull Nikki Giovanni wrote a poem called “The New Yorkers.” This is the beginning of that poem: “In front of the bank building after six o’clock the gathering of the bag people begins. In cold weather they huddle [...]
AIDSWatch 2015 and the Trans* Experience
By Tommy Luckett What do you do when you are invited into a space and seemingly forgotten once you are present? If you happen to be one of three beautiful, intelligent, and outspoken transgender women of color named Tela La’Raine [...]
Positive Women’s Network – USA Releases Recommendations for the Next US National HIV/AIDS Strategy
Women with HIV Demand a Minimum Standard of Care, Bold New Initiatives to Ensure High-Quality Services for Black Women and Transgender Women of Color FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford, oford.pwnusa@gmail.com / 347.553.5174 April 13, 2015 – Washington, DC [...]
Women with HIV Must Be a Priority in the Next US National HIV/AIDS Strategy
Download a PDF version of this document. The next National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) must include factors vital to the survival and well-being of women living with HIV. Women continue to account for nearly a third of the estimated 1.2 million [...]
What Do Young Women with HIV Need?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford, oford.pwnusa@gmail.com / 347.553.5174 April 10, 2015 – This National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD), Positive Women’s Network - USA honors young trans and non-trans women living with HIV – long-term survivors as well as [...]
In Loving Memory: Advocates and Longtime Friends Say Goodbye to Chakena "CC" Conway / David Isaiah Joseph
It was with heavy hearts that we shared news of the passing of Chakena "CC" Conway / David Isaiah Joseph, in January of this year. CC was 28 years old. Also known to many as David*, CC touched countless lives [...]
In Loving Memory: Advocates and Longtime Friends Say Goodbye to Chakena “CC” Conway / David Isaiah Joseph
It was with heavy hearts that we shared news of the passing of Chakena "CC" Conway / David Isaiah Joseph, in January of this year. CC was 28 years old. Also known to many as David*, CC touched countless lives [...]
Resources and Reproductive Justice for Young Women Living with HIV
By Grissel Granados In my opinion, the greatest needs of young women living with HIV include, but are not limited to, adequate medical services that are responsive to our sexual and reproductive health needs. As a young woman living with [...]
Meet Mina, a Teen Living with HIV
By Mina Hi! I’m Mina. I’m a teenager and I’m in middle school. I’m adopted and I have a big family. I’m HIV positive. I’m the only one of my family members that has HIV. My brothers and sister didn’t [...]
Bee Day 2015: Advocating for Reproductive Health in South Carolina
By Stacy Jennings, PWN-USA Member On March 25, 2015, many lobbyists – including me – from the grassroots e-advocacy network "Tell Them," which works to improve reproductive health policy in South Carolina, gathered for an opportunity to meet with House [...]
Advancing Collaborative and Shared Leadership and Participation Inclusive of Women Living with HIV
Remarks Delivered at the White House’s National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Event, “Stepping Out of the Shadows: HIV & Violence against Women and Girls” By Vanessa Johnson, PWN-USA National Training and Leadership Director Vanessa Johnson, JD. [...]
Stepping Up Commitment: Women and Girls Living with HIV Must Matter Every Day of the Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford, oford.pwnusa@gmail.com / 347.553.5174 March 10, 2015 – Each year, on March 10, National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD) is observed in the US. But at Positive Women’s Network – USA (PWN-USA), a [...]
White Paper Shows Key Gaps in the Affordable Care Act and Opportunities for the Ryan White Program to Provide Healthcare for Women with HIV
Download the full report (PDF) Download a one-page summary of the report (PDF) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Nerissa Irizarry, Positive Women’s Network-USA - nerissa.pwnusa@gmail.com Melanie Medalle, SisterLove, Inc. - mmedalle@sisterlove.org Ariel Tazkargy, National Women’s Health Network - atazkargy@nwhn.org March 10, 2015 - March [...]
Sister Warriors
By Wanda Brendle-Moss, PWN-USA Member This article originally appeared on March 4, on The Well Project's A Girl Like Me blog. Wanda Brendle-Moss. As we approach National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 10, 2015, my [...]
Understanding How I Became HIV Positive
By Rachel Moats, PWN-USA-San Diego Member Rachel Moats. Two months ago my life was turned upside down for the second time. The first time was on March 19, 2013, when I found out I was HIV Positive. I [...]
Words Matter: Sharing as Much as I’m Comfortable to Stand Up to HIV Stigma
By Tami Haught, PWN-USA Member Tami Haught. How we introduce ourselves makes a difference; the words we use matter. When asked at a meeting to introduce myself, I will start with: My name is Tami Haught and I [...]
I'm Feelin' Like a Criminal: Why the Law Won’t Stop the Spread of HIV
By Loren Jones, PWN-USA Board Member Loren Jones. Some of us, due to our chance assignment from birth to certain races, genders, and classes, have pretty much been outlaws all our lives. And now, here we go; another [...]
I’m Feelin’ Like a Criminal: Why the Law Won’t Stop the Spread of HIV
By Loren Jones, PWN-USA Board Member Loren Jones. Some of us, due to our chance assignment from birth to certain races, genders, and classes, have pretty much been outlaws all our lives. And now, here we go; another [...]
The Red Flags of My Past (and Future): Real Links Between Trauma and HIV
By Heather It wasn’t until February 10, 2015, that I truly realized the profound connection between trauma and HIV. I always knew about a correlation, but what did that really mean to me? It meant everything I had read regarding [...]
Reflections on How Far Women with HIV Have Come in the Past 16 Years: A Personal View
By Olga Irwin, Regional Co-Chair, PWN-USA-Ohio Olga Irwin. Olga Irwin studied at Youngstown State University and became a licensed social worker in 2009. She was diagnosed with AIDS in 1999. Since her diagnosis she has become involved in [...]
We’ve Come Too Far to Have HIV Criminalization Laws
How These Laws Impact the Lives of Women with HIV By Teresa Sullivan, PWN-USA Board Member Teresa Sullivan. Now that the United States has access to over 36 medicines for the treatment of HIV, people are living longer [...]
Bringing Visibility to Same-Gender-Loving Women This National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
By Penny DeNoble, PWN-USA Member Penny DeNoble. Tuesday, March 10, 2015, is the 10th annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. As social, community, and government groups across the nation prepare to bring awareness to the susceptibility that [...]
PWN-USA Gives Testimony Against Harmful HIV-Specific Bill in Rhode Island
To: Rhode Island Legislative Committee Members Re: Public Testimony on House Bill 5245 Hearing Date: February 24, 2015 Positive Women’s Network-USA, a national member body of women living with HIV, opposes H5245. This proposed bill stands in stark contrast to [...]
Do All Black Lives Matter?
On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Amplifying the Voices of Women, Youth, and Transgender Women FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford, oford.pwnusa@gmail.com / 347.553.5174 February 7, 2015 – This National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), Black women remain 20 times [...]
Services for Women and Youth with HIV Gutted Yet Again!
PWN-USA Responds to the President's Budget Proposal to Eliminate Ryan White Part D FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford, oford.pwnusa@gmail.com / 347.553.5174 February 3, 2015 – Brooklyn, NY – This Groundhog Day, the forecast for women with HIV looks bleak. [...]
When Ignorance Kills, Nobody Wins: Advocates Reflect on an HIV-Related Murder Case
By Morénike Giwa Onaiwu and Venita Ray Elisha Maxine Henson was a Texas mother with a big love for family, especially her two sons. A stay-at-home mom with a bright smile, Elisha enjoyed riding motorcycles and was a member of a [...]
PWN-USA Recognizes International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
On this day, December 17, 2014, Positive Women’s Network-USA stands with our sisters in recognizing December 17 as the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers. This Day to End Violence against Sex Workers originated in response to acts [...]
A Summit for Women with HIV: Nothing About Us without US
By Naimah Oneal, Regional Co-Chair, PWN-USA-Ohio Naimah Oneal. I came to Fort Walton Beach with great expectations about the PWN-USA Summit, and learned that I am surrounded by some amazing women. I stepped off the plane to a [...]
World AIDS Day 2014, PWN-USA Style
The impact of advocacy by women living with HIV is happening, and is felt, all the time in communities where our members and sisters are doing their work on behalf of their communities. World AIDS Day is a time to [...]
Intersectionality, HIV Justice, and the Future of Our Movement
Part 1: An Introduction to Intersectionality "If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable, are going to fall through the cracks." - Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw HIV thrives in conditions of structural inequity - where the workings of poverty, [...]
PWN-USA Stands with Ferguson and Demands Justice for Michael Brown
Dear community, On Monday, a St. Louis grand jury failed to bring charges against Ferguson County Police Officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed 18-year old Michael Brown. This verdict is horrifying and devastating for Michael's family, and for folks in [...]
Break the Culture of Violence Against Women with HIV and All Women
First-Ever National Day of Action to End Violence Against Women with HIV Observed on October 23 With Rallies, Ruckus-Raisings and Social Media Actions Across the US FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford, oford.pwnusa@gmail.com / 347.553.5174 October 23, 2014 – Violence [...]
Social Media Tools: Day of Action to End Violence Against Women with HIV
On October 23, join us in breaking the culture of violence against women with HIV and all women! Things You Can Do on the October 23 Day of Action: Change your Facebook and/or Twitter profile image to one of the [...]
PWN-USA Applauds Federal Progress Addressing the Intersections of Violence Against Women, HIV, and Trauma
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford - oford.pwnusa@gmail.com - 347.553.5174 October 10, 2014 - Today, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we congratulate the White House Office of National AIDS Policy on today's release of Updates on Efforts to Address the Intersections of HIV/AIDS, Violence [...]
What Are PWNers Doing at the US Conference on AIDS?
PWN-USA members and staffers are all over the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) 2014, happening this week at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel in San Diego, CA – we’re presenting, exhibiting, speaking, and more! If you’re at the [...]
Everything You Need to Know About SPEAK UP!
Lepena Reid, Janet Kitchen and Rose Todd, South Florida SPEAK UP! A National Leadership Summit for Women Living with HIV is just one week away! Here's everything you need to know, whether you're coming to the Summit or following [...]
Two Women with HIV Join Obama’s Pool of Top HIV Advisors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Olivia Ford - oford.pwnusa@gmail.com - 347.553.5174 September 4, 2014 - Positive Women’s Network – USA (PWN-USA) congratulates two of our members, Gina Brown of New Orleans and Grissel Granados of Los Angeles, on their recent appointments [...]
Day of Action to End Violence Against Women with HIV: Save the Date, Join the Call
On October 23, 2014, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, PWN-USA is spearheading a National Day of Action to End Violence Against Women Living with HIV. Please join us for the first Day of Action planning call on Thursday, September 4, [...]