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Natural advocate becomes first Honduran woman to publically announce her HIV status
Leading the Fight Against HIV
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Photo: USAID/Fernando Arèvalo
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"I am no ordinary woman. However, when I was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1996,
along with my husband and daughter, I kept on going because of the love and commitment I have for
my family, my people, and my country. USAID support allows me to work to help others like me."
- Rosa González
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Rosa González is a Honduran woman who works for HIV/AIDS prevention in Central America.
After testing positive for HIV in 1996 — along with her husband and daughter — Rosa went
public with her status so that people living with HIV/AIDS would become more visible.
She is now a professional advocate who, during a single day, wears many hats: wife, mother, daughter, civil society leader. As the Honduras Representative for the USAID-supported Central America AIDS Action Project from September 2002 through January 2005, Rosa was familiar not only with those affected by HIV and AIDS but with opinion leaders and policy-makers in the region.
Her advocacy work was instrumental to the drafting and approval of Honduras' HIV/AIDS Law. She also helped secure funding for the purchase of antiretroviral treatment by the government, and to improve access to care and support for all people living with HIV and AIDS. In her "spare time" Rosa advises a coalition of civil society organizations that advocate for issues that are vital to people living with HIV and AIDS.
Most recently, Rosa was elected President of the Central American Network of HIV-Positive People, which will provide her with a platform to continue furthering the cause of people affected by HIV/AIDS in the region.
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