A Mother’s Love Is A Powerful Weapon Against AIDS (NAPSA)—Mothers across America celebrate their children’s growth and accomplishments with graduation gifts, birthday presents and special treats. Now, three womensay there is another way to tell your kids that you care: talk with them about HIV/AIDS. Laura Hall, Ina Wilson and Michelle Lopez—three of the hundreds of thousands of mothers who say to other momsto avoid or cope with the heartache they have experienced: Learn aboutit. It’s important to know the facts—not the myths—about AIDS so you can teach your kids. Pick up pamphlets from a local health department or community organization and discuss them with yourfamily. You can also check out www.black aids.org for information about havelost a child to AIDS, or whose son or daughteris living with HIV —know that now is not a time for crying, silence or fear. They’re past AIDSin the black community. that. To them, the time has come WhenIna Wilson’s son wasdiagnosed with AIDS, she became a leading advocate. are on a campaign to stop AIDS in their communities. For Laura Hall of Alabama, self than for her then-18-monthold daughter, Raven, who was to speak out, so other women can avoid the heartbreak that HIV brings to a family. These women breaking the silence about AIDS means fulfilling the promise she made to her son, Ato, on his deathbed in 1992. As a state legislator, Laura turned her personal tragedy into a political priority. She has led the Alabama state government’s efforts to stop AIDS, particularly in the African-American community, by creating a state commission on H1IV—which she now chairs— and helping expand state programs that provide life-saving AIDS drugs to people who can’t afford them. Medical treatment for AIDS is what Michelle Lopez has been speaking out about for the past 14 years. When this New York City mother of two was diagnosed with HIV in 1990, she was less worried about getting AIDS drugs for her- infected at birth. Michelle educated herself and used her sheer maternal willpower to get Raven into medical studies of new AIDS drugs that were available for adults but had never been tested in children. Today, both mother and daughterare going strong. For Ina Wilson of Chicago, love for her son Phill enabled her to fight the social stigma that comes with an HIV diagnosis. When the family’s minister told her he didn’t approve of Phill talking about AIDS with membersof the congregation, Ina fought back. “Phill is my child, he will always be my child, and he will always have the love and acceptance of my family,” she told the minister. “You have to accept that.” These three women know too well the tragedy of AIDS in the family. They have three things to Know whereto get tested and treated. Studies show that less than one-third of sexually active teens have ever been tested for HIV, and two-thirds don’t know where to get one. You can call CDC’s 24-hour National AIDS Hotline at 800-342-2437 (in Spanish, 800-344-7432) or search www.hivtest.org to find a nearby location or get answers. Talk aboutit. Forty percent of teenagers want to speak with their parents about AIDS. Tell your kids what you’ve learned about HIV prevention, testing and treatment, and encourage them to ask questions, too. Keep talking aboutit as they grow and mature. And remember, it’s never too late to start the conversation. Faced with a difficult choice— to speak out or stay silent— Laura, Michelle and Ina realized that ignoring HIV doesn’t make it go away. Thoughtheir individual challenges are unique, they all agree on onelife-saving piece of advice for America’s moms: Speak up about HIV/AIDS with the people you love the most— your children.
