More Than Just a Number: Why Our Sexual Health Is Deeply Interconnected

By Brielle Collins

June 16, 2026

Have you ever heard anyone say, “When you sleep with someone, you sleep with everyone they’ve slept with?” It’s an old phrase used to teach the dangers of sleeping with multiple partners, but what exactly does it mean?

It’s the idea that when you sleep with someone, you increase your risks of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), as you are being exposed to the sexual diseases of whomever that person had been exposed to in the past.

That phrase is [read more]

More Than Just a Number: Why Our Sexual Health Is Deeply Interconnected Tia Tyree2026-06-16T20:25:52-04:00

What are the biggest obstacles to black women getting tested for HIV?

By Brielle Collins

June 1, 2026

There are times when the numbers don’t make sense. Since the AIDS/HIV epidemic, U.S. Black people have been disproportionately affected. This statistics is even more concerning when it comes to Black women.

Despite accounting for only 13% of women in the United States, Black women accounted for 60% of new HIV diagnoses among women in 2021 and 50% of the same figure in 2022. Increasing HIV testing and expanding access to prevention tools like [read more]

What are the biggest obstacles to black women getting tested for HIV?Tia Tyree2026-06-01T09:20:49-04:00

I Was Born with HIV, But I Refused to Let It Silence Me

By Nabukeera Doreen

April 10, 2026

I was born into a story I did not choose, but one I have learned to tell with power.

Twenty-six years ago, before I could speak my name, I was already navigating a world shaped by HIV. My mother carried both me and the virus, and in a limited-resource setting in Uganda, survival was [read more]

I Was Born with HIV, But I Refused to Let It Silence MeTia Tyree2026-04-10T13:06:05-04:00

But I’m Still Here… The Bravery of Living with HIV for Over 40 Years

But I’m Still Here…

The Bravery of Living with HIV for Over 40 Years

March 24, 2026

By Joanna LaBelle

My journey started with a positive diagnosis for HIV in 1983. It left me thinking I was going to die tomorrow.

Stigma said if you were HIV+ that you were going to die. Society was confirming that I was going to die, too, and people were actually dying everywhere from the disease. I was thinking I was next.

I was lost trying to seek solutions, and I chose to get high with [read more]

But I’m Still Here… The Bravery of Living with HIV for Over 40 YearsTia Tyree2026-03-24T21:00:17-04:00

Not on the Syllabus: STIs on College Campuses

March 23, 2026

By Brielle Collins

In the midst of exams, situationships, and extracurriculars, the last thing a college student wants to hear back from a doctor is: you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Alongside the possible physical discomfort and somewhat awkward conversation with your physician to discuss the diagnosis, there is the need to have a conversation with your partner. However, what often also comes along with these responsibilities is carrying the stigma of having an STI, and there really should not be, because most people carrying STIs are [read more]

Not on the Syllabus: STIs on College CampusesTia Tyree2026-03-30T10:23:57-04:00

Reflecting on Another Successful International Conference on Stigma

February 7, 2026

As the new year begins, it is always a good time to reflect on the positive aspects of the last year. For those working to end stigma, the International Conference on Stigma is an integral part of those efforts.

The 16th Annual International Conference on Stigma was a hybrid conference held from November 18-20, 2025. With two days virtual and one day in-person at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., about three hundred people participated [read more]

Reflecting on Another Successful International Conference on StigmaTia Tyree2026-02-25T13:43:10-05:00

The Overwhelming Concept of Contraception

By Brielle Collins

January 26, 2026

Entering college, the decision of whether or not to get on birth control loomed over me. There were endless options and, most importantly, pages of seemingly threatening side effects that felt like they would alter my life. Overall, navigating sexual health and wellness as a woman gets unnecessarily complicated, incredibly overwhelming, and completely impossible.

You don’t want to get pregnant, but sometimes you don’t want to rely solely on a condom. You start weighing your options, scrolling through TikTok, Googling late at night, and talking to friends about the potential side [read more]

The Overwhelming Concept of ContraceptionTia Tyree2026-02-25T13:43:46-05:00

Dating Life as a College Student – Episode Three

By: Kamoria Reese

July 9, 2025

In my new audio blog series, I sit down with fellow college students to explore how they navigate the complexities of dating. They candidly share their safety strategies, the challenges they encounter, and what they seek in a partner. Each conversation offers practical advice and concludes with participants describing their dating lives in just three words. Together, these stories provide relatable insights and support for anyone navigating the modern dating landscape.

In this interview, I spoke with Tay, a college sophomore [read more]

Dating Life as a College Student – Episode ThreePatricia Houston2026-04-29T09:48:37-04:00

Why I Chose the Wellness Space: My Journey Through Shame, Stigma, and HIV Advocacy

By Karla Scipio, RN, MPH

May 29, 205

I didn’t just choose wellness. Wellness chose me—through pain, purpose, and powerful moments that shaped my calling. I graduated from nursing school during a time when HIV was still surrounded by fear and ignorance. We learned about gonorrhea and syphilis, but trichomoniasis and chlamydia were barely mentioned. HIV was whispered about, if mentioned at all.

I became a nurse, because I almost died during childbirth. That near-death experience shifted my life’s direction. I didn’t want to diagnose others from afar. I wanted [read more]

Why I Chose the Wellness Space: My Journey Through Shame, Stigma, and HIV AdvocacyPatricia Houston2026-02-25T13:56:00-05:00

Dating Life as a College Student – Episode One

By: Kamoria Reese

May 25, 2025

In this new audio blog series, I interview fellow college students to learn how they stay safe dating and the biggest concerns they face. I hear honest insights into the challenges of dating in college and what they desire in a partner. They also offer practical advice and describe their dating lives in just three words. Together, their experiences and perspectives offer valuable insight, support and relatability for anyone dating in today’s world.

The first interview is with Ashley, a college [read more]

Dating Life as a College Student – Episode OnePatricia Houston2026-04-29T09:49:51-04:00