'The Time Is Now' to Talk About AIDS

The Sheraton Chapel Hill recently played host to a forum about HIV/AIDS and women of color. One of the speakers, Alicia Diggs of Greensboro, has been on a mission to prevent infections and educate the women of Guilford County since 2004.

"In the beginning, I was nervous about speaking, because I've always been quiet, talk really low, no eye contact, very shy," said Diggs, who was diagnosed HIV-positive 10 years ago. "And I just came out of it when I started to speak. There was a lot of tears in the beginning, because everything was so fresh."

"And speaking to the community, I didn't know how people were going to accept me," Diggs said. "But after a while, it didn't matter, because it wasn't about me. It was about the community."

HIV "has no name, has no color, has no face," said Diggs. "HIV is us as a community, because so many people are affected and infected."

Diggs said it is imperative for churches to address HIV/AIDS and the issues surrounding it. "I would like to see some of our religious establishments a little bit more sensitive to this situation," she said. "A lot of churches don't want to talk about it, because they fear that other people aren't ready. But when is ready? The time is now."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!