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Page 6 April 2003 The AC Phoenix For Black Women, Stopping HIV Starts With Self-Respect Just days before Christmas in 1987, Rosemary Ramroop iearned that her two-month-oid daughter was HiV positive. Soon after this devastating news, Mrs. Ramroop iearned that she, too, was infected with HiV. Married and oniy 23 years oid, Mrs. Ramroop was shocked. As far as she knew, she had never engaged in risky behavior. What she did not know was that she was one of a growing number of young women becoming infected with HiV from their husbands and partners. Debra Fraser-Howze, executive director of the Nationai Biack Leadership Commission on AiDS, beiieves that Mrs. Ramroop represents many young Biack women iiving with HiV. She has a three word manifesto in her work to reach Biack women with this iife-saving information. “You’re worth it.” it’s a message that sounds simpie, says Ms. Fraser-Howze, but may go to the heart of the effort to protect Biack women from HiV. “African-American women have grown up iearning to take care of everyone eise—boyfriends, famiiy, chiidren and even friends—before caring about themseives,” she says, “it’s a cuiturai thing, but too many of us stiii find it hard to say no, to ask him to use a condom, or to iead rather than foiiow.” The price women pay can be their own iives. This year, the United Nations, for the first time, announced that HiV/AiDS cases in women worid-wide—the vast majority of them Biack—outnumbered those in men. in the United States, one in 160 Biack women has the virus, compared to one in 3,000 White women. Biack women account for an estimated 64 percent of aii new HiV infections among women each year. And heterosexuai contact is the ieading cause, accounting for more new infections than intravenous drug use. Race itseif is not a risk for HiV, but many factors—inciuding poverty, deniai, discrimination and other sexuaiiy transmitted diseases—increase vuinerabiiity of Biacks to the disease. increasingiy, though, experts are recognizing that seif-assertiveness and seif-esteem may be criticai to stemming the spread of HiV among Biack women. Jackie Howeii’s diagnosis with HiV caught her by surprise, and made her reaiize how many years she’d spent ietting other peopie do her think ing for her. “My gynecoiogist suggested i get tested for HiV, and i agreed without a second thought—i knew i didn’t have it,” she remembers. A few weeks iater, when the test came back positive, her worid feii apart, “i waiked around with my head bowed, iike i didn’t deserve to iook up,” says Ms. Howeii, a New York City mother of a coiiege age son. Today, she’s a motivationai speaker and peer counseior with a particuiar emphasis on heiping HiV-positive women stay on the medications that can keep them heaithy. “When i was diagnosed, i feit iike the rug was puiied from under my feet, i thought i was the oniy one suffering,” recaiis Mrs. Ramroop. Both women found a more iasting sense of worth from iistening and iearning from other peopie with HiV who were not fiiied with shame. Their courage in confronting their reaiity taught them that being positive couid iead to seif-respect, rather than seif-doubt or destructive behavior. “i iearned something i hadn’t known before, which was the power that comes from iiving yourseif and taking responsibiiity for your actions,” Ms. Howeii remembers. Acting on the knowiedge of her HiV status, Mrs. Ramroop began to taik with physicians that speciaiized in AiDS care. Under a doctor’s care, she started HiV treatment, her best chance at iiving with the virus long-term. Mrs, ,F?gmrppp, tri^igl mariy differpnt treptrnept cp.i^fejnsl^pn^^ spjTip of which gave her side effects and did not completely suppress the virus. Despite these setbacks, she persevered. In her quest for new treatments, she found a regimen that worked for her, and her health began to improve dramatically. Her daughter also started treatment and today, both mother and daughter have undetectable levels of HIV. “My regimen allows me to enjoy a sense of normalcy,” Mrs. Ramroop says. “I’ve learned that while my medications are controlling my virus, I have to do my part by exercising and eating well. It’s a partnership.” Ms. Howell, unsure of exactly who had infected her, called her past sexual partners to let them know that they should be tested. Instead of being angry, as she expected, they thanked her for her honesty. She, too, began treatment and, to this day, remains healthy. Hardest of all, she disclosed her HIV status to her high school aged son. “It was terrible at first. He started screaming, wanted to find the man who had done this to me,” she said. “But I just held him and talked to him and loved him. In the end, he said, ‘You know what? If you’re not scared, I’m not scared.’ Though he did ask me if I would mind waiting until he graduated before coming to talk at his school.” Ms. Howell has gone often to other schools to talk—half of all new infections in the U.S. are among people under the age of 25—as well as to hospitals and programs for ex-offenders and drug users. Many times, she says, she hears about patterns that are all too familiar. “I hear women talk and I hear myself,” she says. “When I was younger, it was all about finding someone who would love me, and not enough about loving myself. I think that’s what got me into trouble.” (Special to the NNPA from the Black AIDS Institute.) Now Registering for the 2003-2004 School Year Looking for a school that can turn dreams into reality? IA school that offers a safe learning environment along with high academic achievement and stodent performance? Then it is time to enroll yoor child at Itast Winston Primary School [East Winston Primary Schooi has openings in the foliowing areas: ' Pre-K Pregram |3.4.5 years oid) MUST BE 5 years aid AETER OCTOBER 15th ' Charter Schoal |K thru Gth Grade) East Winston Primary Schooi 1B12 East 14th Street ‘ Winston Salem AlC 725-7507
The AC Phoenix News (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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April 1, 2003, edition 1
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