Today is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. What does that mean, exactly? Well, scientists are still trying to find a vaccine to stop the spread of HIV. And they want to make people aware of what they’ve done, what they’re doing, and that they are still optimistic that they will find a vaccine. You may or may not be interested in the details, but take away the important (and simple) lesson- if you chose to have sex, protect yourself. Ok, it may not always be easy to do, but your life is worth it.

In the first issue of Homegirl NYC, international AIDS activist Hydeia Broadent, who was born with HIV and had full-blown AIDS by age three, shares her story. Here’s an excerpt:

Hydeia Broadbent on the cover of Poz magazine. Photo courtesy of the magazine.

“I am 26 years old. I take 3 HIV/AIDS medications a day and I go to the doctor every three to six months, more if I am feeling ill. I went to college but I had to stop going because I was sick and needed to rest. It is possible for someone living with HIV/AIDS to have a relationship but partners have to be educated on how to stay safe. I am dating someone I have known since high school. We plan on getting married after he is done with school. At one point I was madly in love with someone who was ashamed of letting people know I had full-blown AIDS, which hurt and sometimes brought me down. From that I learned I needed to date a man who was sure of who he was and able to handle people if they said negative things. I can have children without passing HIV onto them but I’m not sure if I will take that risk. I try to stay positive because there are people who are no longer here with us, and I don’t want to walk around depressed when I have a heartbeat. So I try not to think about death. I look at it like everything that lives and breathes will die—I could get hit by a car. I try not to think about it ‘til that day comes. Yes, it’s always there in the back of my mind but it does not affect my everyday outlook.

Hydeia B. in 2009, by Robert John Kley. Photo courtesy of Hydeia.

I am an HIV/AIDS activist. I travel all over the country and the world, speaking at colleges, health conferences and youth events about HIV/AIDS. People think they can tell when someone has HIV/AIDS–they have an image in their minds of maybe of a gay man or an IV drug user, as if those are the only people at risk. I am here to say that image is so wrong! Take me as an example and wipe that right out of your mind. Please remember your health is your responsibility, no one else’s! If you are in a relationship, go with your partner to get tested. If you can’t go together, is this really the person you should be sleeping with? It’s 2010 and we need to understand you can die from having sex! Yes, sex is a beautiful thing and I am not telling anyone not to have sex, but I am tell you to be safe and educate yourself. Getting tested is free and so are condoms in different heath centers or free clinics in every city. All you have to do is Google locations or look them up in the phonebook. We all need to do our part, this is our problem!”

Today is HIV vaccine awareness day… spread the word. To find a testing site near you, visit www.hivtest.org.

Connect with Hydeia online through email (Hydeiabroadbent@gmail.com) or on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/hydeiabroadbent. Check out the rest of what Hydeia had to say in the magazine, available now.