Learn about African American Women Living with HIV

Jocelyn graves also reflects the changing face of AIDS. Diagnosed in 1994. She believes she was probably infected in 1987. A person can have HIV for years before having any symptoms. Jocelyn Graves: The last couple of years, I’ve been in and out of the hospital. I’ve built up a resistance to a lot of the medication. Now I’m on new medications. I have kidney problems, liver problems, thyroid, heart problems, and everything. And I just recently got out of the hospital from having a heart attack and I actually died. The paramedics revived me. Dave Jones: There’s some tremendously chilling statistics with regards to what’s happening in the African American community right now. Although African Americans make up only 12 percent of our population, fifty per cent of the new HIV AIDS cases are happening in that community. The number one killer of African American women between the ages of 25 and 34 is HIV AIDS. Jocelyn Graves: I have been through so much lately. I’m actually tired, but I don’t want to give up, because I know there’s more that needs to be done in HIV and AIDS, and I still want to help in that fight. Jocelyn contracted the virus through heterosexual sex with her partner. She didn’t know he was an injection drug user. She found out while caring for him before he died from complications related to AIDS. Jocelyn Graves: In our life time now everybody is going to know somebody or have a family member infected with the virus. A growing AIDS epidemic: that’s why the CARES clinic in midtown Sacramento was created some 15 years ago. To date, according to the state office of AIDS, close to 140,000 people here in California have been infected. More than 80,000 have died. Azizza Davis Goines: People don’t see people dying of AIDS anymore and as a result of that they see it as a chronic disease such as diabetes or hypertension and they don’t take it as seriously anymore. We have several clients here at cares who have been infected for many years and the meds just aren’t working for them anymore. Lois McClain is one of 1,800 clients who rely on cares for medical treatment and other help. The clinic provides social, psychiatric, and dental services. An onsite pharmacy makes it easy for people to get their medications. It essentially offers a person with HIV just about everything they need and in one place. Lois McClain: Without it I don’t know what I’d do. I really don’t know. Everything is here. I can talk to anyone about anything. There’s so much help that is here at cares. Lois is new to CARES. She was diagnosed with HIV about a year ago. Lois McClain: My whole life was shattered. Nothing is the same anymore. Nothing. Lois says she was infected through heterosexual sex with her partner of three years. Lois McClain: I believe he was a man on the down low. Men on the down low, or “D-L.” The centers for disease control says the term is often used to describe the behavior of men who have sex with other men as well as women and who do not identify as gay or bisexual. The term has most often been associated with African American men although it is not specific to black men who have sex with men. Azizza Davis Goines: Men on the down low, brothers on the down low, yeah, and it is a really big issue. Much of which takes place in the prisons and then some men out of prison will stop that risky behavior and others will continue with it and just don’t tell the women that they're having sex with each other. Thirty-nine year old Irene Ross is a mom and grandmother. Fourteen years ago, she was diagnosed with HIV. Irene Ross: I was devastated. I said what do you mean I’m HIV positive? What are you talking about? I’m not a drug addict. I don’t have sex with any and everyone. How? Why me? Irene says she was shocked at what she learned next. Irene Ross: I cam across a letter that was written to him by a man. And the letter startled me because of the language was saying some very personal things that I thought I should be saying to him. But it was actually being said to him by another man. She believes her husband was promiscuous with both men and women. She believes that’s how she contracted the virus. Irene Ross: It was with the man I was married to for a short time. We had been together for ten years. And I loved him so much. It was just me and him. I was faithful and he wasn’t— Irene lives with her year old grandchild and 18-year-old Daughter Tatiana. Tatiana Orr: I worry all the time. It’s kind of on my shoulders. I’m not the oldest but I’m the oldest here. And I kind of overview and take care of the house. It’s a lot. Not a burden but a lot on my shoulders. But I take it a day at a time and just deal with it. Irene Ross: I love her so much for what she does. She’s my strength. She holds it down for me when I can’t sometimes. And a lot of times, I feel like it’s too much for her because she’s so young. She just turned 18. But she’s a strong young woman. Tatiana is an attentive daughter and mother. She says she’s not afraid of HIV/AIDS. She knows it’s not transmitted by holding hands, hugging, sneezing, or coughing. She says she’s learned a lot about HIV/AIDS from her mom. Though Tatiana has been aware of the toll HIV has taken on her mother, in the heat of passion a couple of years ago, all the HIV/AIDS education and knowledge went right out the window. Tatiana Orr: You know with teenagers all in the moment and everything and then everything goes. And I thought about it when it was all over. You don’t think about it during the process. Once it’s over like –you know. Tatiana did become pregnant but did not contract HIV/AIDS. She has no regrets about her baby, but next time… Tatiana Orr: In the future I will use protection.