National Women and Girls HIV/AIDs Awareness Day - March 10th

I am a HIV negative female passionate about promoting HIV/AIDs awareness amongst my sistahs, whom unfortunately are contracting the virus in disproportionate numbers. KNOW your status and get tested. The following piece 'Scared' describes my own fear about being tested for the first time in over 6 years:


SCARED
I'm scared
Scared of needles
Scared of test results
Scared of sympathies heartfelt
Should the result come back positive
Scared because I know the life I've lived
I remember that everytime I slept with someone I got hurt
and everytime that I got hurt I slept with someone else
I remember when last names were optional
and lack of condoms was optimal because it 'felt better' to me
So yes I'm scared as I should be
But the cycle of ignorance,
of not knowing my status stops today
I can no longer rely on 'I feel okay'
Or 'I've never been with anyone that looked sick'
Because I know that even a quick pr$ck can change your life quick

I watched my best friend fade away
A slow and painful death that no one should have to face
I no longer want to live with uncertainty
Because my sisters and I are at risk and we are dying
because we are scared of demanding
that protection be used
or we're being abused to the point
where we feel we have no choice - no voice
to say 'I love and respect and value ME'
For that reason I act not out of fear
but out of necessity
My life depends on it
Your life depends on it
OUR future depends on US