WHY NOW??!!

Why am I choosing to become an advocate now?  Basically I've sat around for the last seven to eight years watching the system fail and not having anyone there to do anything about it.  So I figured go with what they say "be the change you wish to see in the world".  I can't honestly say there was one specific moment that changed in my thoughts on any of this, however being an HIV positive woman, heterosexual, married, with two beautiful negative children.  I believe that I have a voice that people should hear.  Are we not fighting to raise awareness and end the stigma and educate and find a cure for this disease, that we've literally been battling since 1980?  And isn't this the year that were supposed to end the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child?  Are our medical professionals educated enough themselves to end the stigma and change policies that have been set forth that have obviously failed?  So here, I am bringing those issues to light and hoping to change so much more than just the stigma!