SM: How did you feel when people shunned you?

“HIV is not an adjective.”

Marvelyn: I really tried to put myself in people’s shoes. I also tried to push everyone away. I felt like a dying child. In certain places, I was forced to eat on paper plates and paper cups and wash my clothes separately. I wanted life to go back to being the same. Same old friends, for my family to treat me the same old way. It just didn’t happen that way. But then I started realizing it was actually a good thing—[HIV] was moving a lot of negative people out of my life.

Speaking Out

SM: Five months after you were diagnosed you began to speak publicly about your HIV status and HIV awareness in general. Why not just keep it between you and your circle?
Marvelyn: I think a part of it was rebelliousness. People telling me that no one will ever accept you, you’ll never be anything and putting up these barriers against me because I was HIV positive. I have a mission; I have a purpose in life. Either I can take it and run with it or I can keep it to myself while every day people are still getting infected and dying.