On June 28, 1988 I was diagnosed with HIV. I was a middle class, 19-year old from the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia in the southern United States. I did not know another positive woman in the world. After all, HIV was a gay man’s disease. My doctor gave me two very important pieces of advice on that day – don’t read anything, it’s too confusing, and don’t tell anyone, not even your brothers. I kept HIV my secret for nearly six years.

In the early 90’s I began asking questions and trying to find more information. There seemed to be a great void whenever I looked for information about women and HIV disease. I took a job in a grassroots AIDS service organisation building a treatment resource centre. In 1994, I started an organisation to focus specifically on treatment information and treatment advocacy for women with HIV called WISE (Women’s Information Service and Exchange). I was also diagnosed with AIDS. I became a treatment activist and worked endlessly on the research and development of the protease inhibitor class of drugs – a group of drugs which revolutionised the care of people with HIV, with their approval, in 1996.

In 1997, I moved WISE to California to become the women’s program for Project Inform San Francisco. One year later I celebrated both my 30th birthday and the 10th anniversary of my HIV diagnosis. I realised that I owed it to myself and to my community to embrace this life and act on a childhood dream. In 1999, I began a 2,167 mile hike of the entire Appalachian Trail, traversing 14 states down the Eastern seaboard of the United States. I embarked on this journey with my youngest brother, my now husband and my dog. We called our adventure “Trekking with AIDS”.

It was on that journey that I began designing what is now known as The Well Project. The Well Project is an organisation committed to reducing the total human cost of the AIDS pandemic through a unique focus on women. The web portal is the hub full of information for HIV positive women and their families, allied health care providers, and clinicians. The Project also works to increase awareness in the general population and change the way people think about HIV.

In addition to bringing The Well Project to life, I have embarked on another childhood dream and lifelong adventure – motherhood. In June 2002, on the 14th anniversary of my HIV diagnosis, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl, my daughter Madelyn Grace. In February 2004, I gave birth to my second healthy baby girl, my daughter Sophia Alston.

More than 16 years ago, like many others, I was handed a death sentence – an HIV diagnosis. Because of research, advocacy, support and access to treatment and information, I am alive and healthy today. Living with HIV is not easy, but life is worth the challenge.

Dawn