A Girl Like Me LIVE

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 21: Health Disparities, Health Inequities, and HIV

Health disparities are differences in health that are linked to unjust social conditions (income inequality, racism, gender bias, and many more). A health disparity can be a higher rate of a disease among certain groups than others – even, in many cases, despite ongoing prevention efforts. HIV is just one example of an epidemic that is made worse by health disparities. In the 21st episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, Ci Ci was be joined by author, community advocate, and transformational speaker Connie L. Johnson. Connie and Ci Ci discussed health inequities and health disparities faced by Black women and others who are living with HIV. Come take part in this interactive discussion to explore the root of these disparities and how they impact the daily lives of women living with HIV.

This episode is sponsored by Theratechnologies.

Visit https://cdn.fs.pathlms.com/4oiXe0vRdGQpqWg8RqwQ to view their Screening Guide for Lifestyle Diseases.

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 20: Navigating Mental Health Care

Women living with HIV across the gender spectrum are more likely than women in the general population to experience challenges to their mental health. Among many people, accessing mental health care can carry stigma, and can even be discouraged by some family members and friends. Additionally, women, often primary caregivers, will care for others before caring for themselves.

In the 20th episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, Ci Ci is joined by Raenisha Love, LCSW as they discuss mental health care from both the perspective of a therapist who offers non-judgmental, empathic services to individuals across the gender spectrum and a woman living with HIV who sought out mental health care.

You’re not going to want to miss this dynamic conversation between two powerful women as it relates to the importance of mental health care (in addition to HIV treatment) for overall well-being for women living with HIV. 

This episode is sponsored by Theratechnologies.

Visit https://cdn.fs.pathlms.com/4oiXe0vRdGQpqWg8RqwQ to view their Screening Guide for Lifestyle Diseases

 

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 19: Mothers and Daughters Navigating an HIV Diagnosis

Telling someone you love that you are living with HIV can be really hard. Living with HIV can often impact not just the person who received the diagnosis, but also those around them - including family, friends, and other people they are close with. During the month of May, and beyond, we celebrate the special dynamic of motherhood as it relates to HIV. In the 19th episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, Ci Ci is joined by her own mother, Carol Coleman; Lynette Trawick and her mother-in-law Karen Trawick; and mother-daughter duo Michelle and Raven Lopez in a heartfelt conversation meant to shed light on these multiple, diverse perspectives of motherhood and HIV. Tune into this enlightening, powerful discussion among women living with HIV and their mothers!

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 18: Criminalization and Women Living with HIV

No one should be punished simply because they have a health condition. But in many areas of the world, laws and practices unfairly punish people living with HIV because of their HIV-positive status. In other words, people living with HIV can face criminal charges for engaging in acts that would not be considered criminal if a person who is not living with HIV engaged in them. This is often called HIV criminalization.

Join Ci Ci as she chats with Black feminist attorney Mandisa Moore-O'Neal about criminalization and HIV, how HIV-specific laws and policies affect the reproductive rights of Black women, and how all this connects with criminalization of Black women’s bodies, including their parenting choices, more broadly. You’re not going to want to miss this important discussion during Black Maternal Health Week 2022.

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 16: Serodifferent Couples

"Serodifferent relationship" and "mixed-status couple" are terms often used to describe a couple or relationship in which one partner is living with HIV and the other is not. Romantic and intimate relationships can be challenging for anyone, and differing HIV statuses may be part of that. But nowadays, we have more information and more tools than ever to help serodifferent couples have healthy relationships and great sexual lives with one another, with infinitely less worry about HIV transmission. Listen as Ci Ci joins Lynette and Daniel Trawick, a married, mixed-status couple as they discussed stigma, how U=U has impacted their relationship, and much more! You’re don't want to miss this very vulnerable and passionate conversation about serodifferent couples.

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 15: Self-Stigma and Dating

People living with HIV can hold negative beliefs about HIV that cause them to stigmatize themselves (also known as internalized stigma). For many women living with HIV, the negative stories we tell ourselves have more consequences than the stigma we’re subject to from others. Self-stigma can be particularly challenging when it comes to what we believe we deserve when dating. Tune in to the 15th episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, where Ci Ci joins Michelle Anderson of The Afiya Center to have a vulnerable conversation about how stigma, especially internalized stigma, can affect the dating choices and experiences of women living with HIV. Join us for this powerful conversation as we discuss the impact of the stories that we tell ourselves.

Breastfeeding and HIV: Viewpoints from an Adult and Pediatric Provider

The Well Project commemorated World AIDS Day 2021 by launching our new, three-year project, BEEEBAH (Building Equity, Ethics, and Education on Breastfeeding and HIV)! The first session featured Ciarra “Ci Ci” Covin (The Well Project) and Allison Agwu, MD, MPH (Johns Hopkins). Ci Ci relates her personal experiences as a woman living with HIV, new parent, and advocate; Allison shares insights from her work caring for women living with HIV across the lifespan (from pediatrics to adults), including women who choose to breastfeed. We look forward to the first in this series of exchanges with various thoughtleaders on breast/chestfeeding and HIV – essential to our efforts to raise awareness, inspire action, and ensure that women living with HIV can experience their fundamental right to make informed, uncoerced infant-feeding decisions. BEEEBAH is a comprehensive, multi-tiered project that expands upon The Well Project’s existing efforts around breast/chestfeeding and HIV and has received funding from ViiV Healthcare’s Positive Action for Women initiative.

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 14: Why Language Matters

Throughout their lives, women may experience multiple forms of oppression and discrimination based on gender, race, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, or other factors. The oppression and discrimination are often reinforced through language. Adding an HIV diagnosis can magnify this oppression and affect self-worth, confidence, and self-identity. The words that are used to talk about people living with HIV affect the way people living with HIV feel about themselves. In the fourteenth episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, Ci Ci joined long-term survivor Vickie Lynn in speaking about the significance of the language we use to talk about HIV. Join us in the final discussion of 2021 as these two extraordinary women talked about why the language we use is important, how we can bring awareness to its importance, and what people can do to evoke change.

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 13: Transgender Day of Remembrance

People of trans experience, particularly women and femmes of color, endure targeting for horrendous acts of violence and even murder in racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-Black societies around the world, including the US. This terrible fact gave rise to Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), on which we honor our family of trans experience who have lost their lives to various forms of violence. It has also evolved into a day to honor and lift up the immense power, creativity, collective survival, community healing, and mutual aid that so many individuals and communities of trans experience embody and model. For our 13th episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, honoring TDOR, Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin is joined by Tiommi Jenae Luckett, an activist and emerita member of The Well Project's CAB, to discuss the importance of remembrance and resilience.

A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 12: Disclosure to Non-HIV Providers

There is no one "best" way to tell others (disclose) that you are living with HIV. It may be important to share that information with health providers other than your HIV care provider so that you can get the best possible care. But who do you tell; how do you start that conversation; and what is helpful to be prepared for? On the 12th episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, our host Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin explored these questions and more along with CAB member Bridgette Picou, a licensed vocational nurse and a woman living with HIV. Bridgette shares her expertise on both sides of the client-provider relationship.