In this Mother’s Day season, POZ honors moms who lost sons to HIV and, in the process, dove into AIDS advocacy and activism. Each of these women—whose children contracted HIV in the 1980s, a time of panic and severe stigma—shaped their initial confusion, shock and feelings of helplessness into a lifelong passion. They continue to raise awareness, sharing their struggles and accomplishments, which for them became a journey of self-discovery.
Meet AIDS lobbyist Suzanne Benzer, who helped launch the national advocacy group Mothers' Voices; renowned 81-year-old activist Sue Caves; Daytime Emmy-nominated film and soap opera star Marj Dusay; and Freda Wagman, author of Snippets from the Trenches: a mother’s AIDS memoir.
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comments 1 - 2 (of 2 total)
Mario, Palm Springs, 2008-05-15 13:32:56
Beautiful article. Made me cry tears of sorrow, joy, pride, and hope. I love you mom. To all the women who embrace this fight, Thank you and Keep it up!
Freda Wagman, Bellaire, TX, 2008-05-14 23:57:43
Just a quick note to thank you for the article about my son, Gary, and I. I will write a real letter to you tomorrow.
Woman of the Month: Loreen Willenberg, Advocate for HIV Clinical Trials
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I am a 38 year old woman, straight and divorced. I was in a relationship with a man for four years and had grown to trust him. I was shocked the day I found out that he had given me an STD. I remember hearing how upset he was and then calming him down by saying, "Don't worry, it could have been so much worse." That was about two months before my [HIV] diagnosis. It took me almost a month to get rid of the STD. Still, my doctor never advised me to take an HIV test and of course it never occurred to me either. I was not in a high risk category—at least that is what I mistakenly told myself. Then one day I was shopping with my 18 year old daughter and in the check-out line I passed out. I was admitted [to the hospital, and seven days later] my test results came back positive. I know that my story is not so unusual, but I don't think I have met enough people to know that for sure."
