Redefine Positive: "HIV and Me: Marissa's Story"

Hi, my name is Marissa. Sometimes my grandpa lets me drive the tractor by myself. I like to play with my friends, ride bikes, and do projects in my grandpa's shop. I live with my mom, my stepdad and my sister. When my sister is hanging out with her boyfriend, we get to have dinner together and watch movies. If I'm having trouble with math problems, my mom will help me with my homework. This week, my mom even took us bowling. My mom won, but I think my style is better. I love you, mom. I love you too. Good night. Sweet dreams. Love you. See you in the morning. The bed bugs bite. Something people probably wouldn't guess about our family though. Is that my mom has HIV? When she told me, I didn't know how to feel. Well, I guess I was scared. But my mom took me to a doctor, and I learned a lot about HIV. Please call 3.0. I produce extremely put miniature liking out about you, so long as I start. The egg. I've been taking care of people with HIV for a really long time. And when I first started, like when I met your mom a long time ago, we were really worried about HIV because we didn't know the best way to treat it. We didn't have all the medicines that we have now. But now we have all these medicines that we can use for people that have HIV. It can keep them healthy. With HIV, you can get it from other people, but not from all the usual stuff you do. You know, from living with your mom that your mom's loving and healthy and she is fun to be around and she's fun to sit in a lab and give her hugs and kisses and you know those things are completely safe. So you know some people are afraid of things they don't understand. And HIV is one of those things that a lot of people are afraid of. Largely because they don't understand it. But there's no need to be afraid of anyone that has that has HIV. I know 'cause I love my mom. I know because they're just regular people. And they have an infection that can be treated and taken care of. And they're not likely to pass it on to anyone else just by being their friends and being their child. And doing all the kind of things that people do. HIV is a serious illness that can make a person very sick. But luckily, there are medications that can help someone who has HIV live a long and healthy life. Unfortunately, there's no cure. A person with HIV will need to take medication their entire life. HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus. If someone with HIV doesn't take their medicine, HIV can cause aids, which stands for, acquired, immune, deficiency, syndrome. All of us have an immune system that protects us from germs and sicknesses. Inside our bodies, we have white blood cells that attack germs so we can feel healthy. When a person has aids, it means that HIV has made their immune system very weak. Unfortunately, this makes it very hard for them to fight off dreams and illness. The good news is, HIV is really hard to contract. But it's good to know how to stay safe as we get older. People usually get HIV by having sex or from sharing needles or drugs with someone who already has HIV. However, kids are age, don't usually get HIV because they aren't doing those things. Sometimes if a pregnant woman has HIV, the baby can be born with it too. But there are medicines that can help keep the baby safe. When we get older, we can make decisions that will protect us from HIV. We can say no to drugs and to having sex to keep ourselves healthy. You can't spread HIV from shaking someone's hand, hugging, kissing, sharing a bathroom, or from someone's saliva. You don't have to be afraid of anyone with HIV. You can hug them or play with them just like you would anyone else. Now I know I'm not going to get HIV from my mom. And I know that she'll be okay if she keeps taking her medicine. I'm not afraid anymore. Now we're going to take a short quiz to see what you know about HIV and aids. True or false. HIV is pretty hard to get. True. HIV is not an easy virus to get. Kids your age almost never get HIV. Marissa lives with her mom, who is HIV positive, and she's not in danger of getting HIV or aids. Which way can you not get HIV? A from hugging or kissing someone who has HIV. B from having sex with someone who has HIV C from being born to a mother who has HIV or D from sharing needles for illegal drugs. The answer is a you can not get HIV from hugging, kissing, or snuggling. You can't get it from sitting on a toilet seat or from pee or spit. True or false. There is no cure for HIV. Unfortunately, this is true. Doctors and scientists are working hard to find a cure for HIV. But right now, there just isn't one. People who have HIV will have it for their entire lives. True or false. With the right medication and care of a doctor, a person with HIV can live a long, healthy life. This is true. There are many antiretroviral medications, like the one Marissa's mom takes, they can help a person with HIV, stay healthy, but in order for the medications to work, they must be taken every day. True or false. It's a good idea to be afraid of people living with HIV or aids. This is false. You do not need to be afraid of anyone who has HIV or aids. They are normal people, just like you. You can hug them, kiss them, joke around with them, and be friends with them. Thanks for watching Marissa's story. Marissa is a real person. In fact, she's about your age and her story is a 100% true. Now, your teacher's gonna take questions from you and your classmates and lead a discussion about Marissa's story. After your class discussion, you might still have some questions about HIV or age, which is totally okay. If you do, any at all, you can talk to your classroom teacher, school nurse, doctor, or another adult you trust.