About

My name is Asha Molock and I am the author of Gaining Strength from Weakness: 101 Positive Thoughts for HIV Positive People, which won a book award from The Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians. I am a woman who has been living with HIV for sixteen years. And for ten of those sixteen years I had lived my life in fear and shame because of HIV stigma. My upcoming book The Underground Woman: From Prisoner To Freedom, tells my story of how I lived my life during that time and how I broke free of the self-stigma to live my best life. This blog is dedicated to fighting HIV stigma. Although, I have freed my self of the shame and guilt of having a HIV diagnosis, there are many others who have not. Stigma is deadly, it prevents people from getting tested and seeking and remaining in treatment. Stigma also prevents those of us who are living with HIV from having the fulfilling life that we deserve.

What is HIV-related Stigma?

HIV-related stigma is having fears, negative attitudes and prejudices about people who are living with HIV. People with HIV have been insulted, assaulted, rejected, criminalized, murdered, gossiped about and excluded from social institutions and activities. The negative impact of HIV stigma results in keeping people from getting tested and once a person has tested positive, stigma causes people to refuse or delay treatment or hide their HIV status because of fear. Myths and misinformation fuels HIV stigma and discrimination. Research and learn as much as you can about HIV. Even if you are not personally affected, remember what affects your community affects you. Spread the truth and not myths.

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