|  Now
36 years old, Michelle Lopez
tested positive for HIV in 1991. A lesbian,immigrant,
and mother of two, Michelle enrolled in
a training program for women to do advocacy
and treatment work in 1997. She currently
works as a Treatment Educator and Client
Advocate at the Community Healthcare Network
in the Bronx and serves on the board of
the National
Association of People With AIDS.
Her closest encounter with death came in
1994 when, suffering from pneumonia and
a fever of 105 degrees, she credits the
images of her children with restoring her
strength. Raven, age 12, is also HIV-positive
and has recently come to understand what
she is living with, explains Michelle. Rondell
is 16 and learning to grow up with an openly
gay mother who speaks publicly about HIV
and AIDS.
But for Michelle, the last chapter is
to become an American citizen and to vote.
"Coming from Trinidad, voting is something
deep in my heart that I want to have before
I leave this earth," she says. Her
current mission is to bring the voices of
immigrant women impacted by HIV/AIDS to
the forefront. "We make up a large
portion of this pie," she explains,
"and our issues must be addressed and
heard to level the playing field."
Chat
Transcript
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| Roshani
Kothari: Hello Everyone.
My name is Roshani Kothari. I work
as the U.S. Partnership & Promotion
Manager for OneWorld.net, an online
portal and global network of over
1500 organizations working in human
rights and sustainable development
(http://www.oneworld.net/us ). I will
be moderating today's chat. I would
like to thank Michelle Lopez for joining
us in the chat today.
Michelle Lopez:
Hi, this is Michelle Lopez. I am very
happy to be part of this chat, and
this group of powerful, intelligent
women who are creating change.
|
|
Shaina: What do
you think is the most important thing
and first step Americans should take
in trying to help other countries
with AIDS?
Michelle Lopez:
The first important thing that America
can do to help women with AIDS in
other countries is to give them the
opportunity to develop strategies
and skills to identify their self
worth and level the playing field
for decision making. Also people in
America can create partnerships to
provide resources, exchange ideas
and learn and understand other cultures.
We have some of the answers, but not
all the answers. Everyone has their
way of doing things.
|
| Kelly:
Can you tell us about the work of
the National Association of People
with AIDS?
Michelle Lopez:
The National Association for People
with AIDS (NAPWA) http://www.napwa.org
is the national voice for all people
living with AIDS, including immigrants,
drug users, gay people and youth.
It is not an exclusive organization,
but an inclusive organization at the
national level. We teach people living
with AIDS to be self sufficient and
develop leadership within their lives;
to be peer role models and be a lobby
voice on advocating for our needs.
|
| Kevin:
It seems that education is such an
important tool in the fight against
AIDS -- for both prevention and treatment.
Seeing that resources to address spread
of AIDS in Africa are still limited,
should efforts be focused on education?
Or, should the funds available be
used for medication? Obviously, both
are needed. Are you hopeful that the
world will eventually wake up and
give this problem the attention it
deserves so that questions like this
won't need to be asked? Thanks for
all that you do.
Michelle Lopez:
If we want to look at the cost effectiveness,
we should look at methods and treatments
that can be utilized and microbicides
are right there and not being supported.
We have 15,000 new infections occurring
every day. Past prevention methods
have failed us, so we should look
at new prevention strategies, specifically
microbicides. Women are four times
as vulnerable to HIV and we do not
use condoms. Microbicides are products
that are under development and they
would be applied topically to prevent
the transmission of infection of HIV
and other infections, and they can
be produced in many forms, such as
gels and creams. It would prevent
HIV and other STDs by killing or immobilizing
other pathogens. It blocks the infection
by creating a barrier between the
pathogen and target cells. More funding
needs to go to the development of
microbicides.
|
| Jalana
: US immigration restrictions
make it very difficult for Trinidadian
immigrants to become citizens, how
has your access to health care been
affected by your immigration status?
And what would you recommend to other
HIV positive immigrant women seeking
care?
Michelle Lopez:
For me, it was a difficult, trying
journey, but through my self-determination
I mobilized with other people living
with AIDS that were citizens, and
they helped me navigate the health
care system and now I have access
to ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program),
which provides all medication, including
HIV medication, and addresses primary
care needs. In New York we have the
best ADAP formulary nationally. This
came about through our work with the
AIDS Institute. The largest consumer
groups that utilize ADAP in New York
are immigrants because we are not
Medicaid eligible. In terms of advice
to other immigrant women with HIV,
do not let your immigrant status be
a barrier to you mobilizing with groups
that are at the podium making decisions.
There are opportunities locally and
internationally for women with HIV
to be part of decision-making bodies.
|
|
Peter: Can you please
describe the work you are currently
doing for the Community Healthcare
Network http://www.chnnyc.org/?
Michelle Lopez:
My title is treatment educator, but
my work is not just limited to treatment
education. On some days, I am a social
worker. On some days, I view myself
as a clinician. On some days, I am
peer mentor. On some days, I am sitting
in a therapy session with other people
with AIDS who feel displaced, and
a large part of my work is helping
them feel “placed” back
into society. Afterwards comes the
medication. And I say that because
I am helping people, especially women,
lift layers upon layers of trauma
that they do not have the opportunity
to address.
|
| Tina:
What do you think people who do not
have AIDS should know about people
living with AIDS?
Michelle Lopez:
We are not criminals. No one that
has this virus went out and asked
to be infected. Because of situations
and circumstances in our lives, we
became infected. As an immigrant woman,
I was very vulnerable in getting infected
because I wanted a green card. I took
abuse from men. I accepted whatever
men dished out to me both good and
bad because of the dream that was
being fed to me—if you stay
with me and be submissive then you
get the green card, and that led me
to the path of destruction. Many women
that I know that immigrate to this
country are in that situation.
|
| Kate:
What is the most difficult aspect
of living with HIV/AIDS? Why?
Michelle Lopez:
The most difficult aspect is knowing
that another woman is being infected
on a daily basis. The reason is that
I know that if we get the opportunity
to make the decisions in our lives
then we can maintain our well being
and survive.
|
| Birama:
What are the positive and negative
aspects of the medicine that you are
currently taking?
Michelle Lopez:
I am currently taking Kaletra and
Trizivir. The positive aspect is that
I have obtained a good viral suppression,
and am maintaining this. The negative
part is that I have to take this medication
until there is a cure. It is frustrating
for me to know that I have to take
these pills in order to survive.
|
| Anna
Forbes: You mentioned microbicides
earlier. It seems like such an obvious
idea -- that women need something
like a gel or suppository that they
can insert for protection so they
can get protection without having
to have struggles and fights when
their male partners are unwilling
to use condoms. Why do you think the
US government hasn't invested more
in microbicides? I've heard that six
time more in federal funding is going
toward AIDS vaccine development than
toward microbicides. Why is that?
Thanks for all your hard work, Michelle.
You really are a terrific role model
of what it means to be LIVING with
the virus!
Michelle Lopez:
The U.S. government is looking at
cost effectiveness to be a disservice
in the HIV/AIDS community. It has
been estimated that the cost of developing
microbicides is around $775 million
over 5 years, and the government has
only given us $75 million annually
for all areas of microbicides research,
not just product development. The
key to developing any pharmaceutical
or healthcare product, is that it
must be safe, effective, affordable
and accessible. And this is why microbicides
would be a good investment. If the
community realizes the promise of
microbicides, and the life saving
properties it may provide, then additional
funding must be made available for
research and development. The National
of Institute of Health and the National
Institute for Allergy and Infectious
Disease spend majority of dollars
in this area of research, so what
is needed is that the directors of
these organizations establish a branch
with appropriate staff and funding
that is dedicated to microbicides
research and development.
|
| Cody:
I hope that this is not off the topic.
When I seroconverted I was told that
I was HIV+, but that I did not have
AIDS. However, I see HIV/AIDS being
used interchangeably. To me AIDS carries
more of a stigma and finality than
being HIV+ and healthy or even undetectable.
At least for me personally this distinction
has helped me have a better outlook
on my life and hopes for a healthy
future. I was just curious to see
how you saw this.
Michelle Lopez:
Both carry stigma and taboo in the
community that I work in. It is safe
for someone who is living with HIV
to say that I am HIV positive, but
when you talk about AIDS it takes
you to the next conversation, “What
am I doing about my HIV status?”
If HIV is left untreated, you can
progress to AIDS. Treating HIV is
not just taking pills. It is taking
care of the whole being, comprehensive
care that is needed—the support
from family members and loved ones.
If you do not have those things, you
surely will feel like you have been
diagnosed with AIDS.
|
| Crystal:
The efforts of Americans to educate
the women in other countries in hopes
of controlling the infection rate
of HIV/AIDS has come under a lot of
fire lately. What can we do to ensure
that this will continue? Are there
organizations that we can write to,
join, etc?
Michelle Lopez:
Yes, there are organizations that
you can write to, such as NAPWA (National
Association for People with AIDS)
http://www.napwa.org, and HRSA (Health
Resources and Services Administration)
http://www.hrsa.gov/. You should also
continue to be determined, and keep
focused on your work and your advocacy
efforts. Do not let their threats
be a barrier to your mission. It is
not a crime to help save another life,
and that’s the spirit of your
work.
|
| Tara:
How do you think people can get involved
to support the work that you are doing?
Michelle Lopez:
I would like to get more involved
with NAPWA and you can do this by
joining us at AIDSWatch http://www.napwa.org/aidswatch.htm
in Washington DC from May 18-20. AIDSWatch
is a unique opportunity for people
from all over the United States to
come to Washington, DC, to unite with
one strong voice in support of a solid
federal commitment to AIDS programs.
|
| Roshani
Kothari: Thanks Michelle
for taking the time to share your
thoughts with us today. Good luck
in your work. Thanks also to all those
who joined in the chat.
Michelle Lopez:
Thank you all the women and advocates
that are willing to take this next
step and carry forward the needs of
women locally and internationally
to help reflect our voices and needs.
This is very helpful in impacting
and creating change at different levels.
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