meditation

We were ready to be exclusive

Patricia's Story

Allow me to introduce myself. I’m that girl my friends would describe as: Self-motivated. Driven. Goal-oriented, disciplined and accomplished. I work hard to get what I want and don’t play when it comes to my career. I am 100% a foodie and love to unwind with a good meal and cocktails with my girls, or with wine & cheese for two at home with my man.

two glasses of red wine and cheese

That night

My King and I had been dating casually but consistently for just over a year. He pulled me close and told me he wanted us to settle in and move things on a more serious level. I felt something shift for us at that moment. It was like our connection deepened. Needless to say, the passion was on point that night.

Radical What?

I don’t joke when it comes to taking care of my physical body. I had already made an appointment with my Dr. to get a sexual health checkup later in the week. To me, being seriously exclusive meant no need for condoms since I am on the pill.

I was at this after-work ‘Cocktails with Colleagues’ event hosted by my Black Women’s Networking group. The theme was promoting radical self-care for women. This one booth grabbed my attention. The information displayed was about why we as Black women should introduce HIV testing as a part of our regular self-care regime. The way the information was being presented, judgement-free and so matter of factly, got me thinking. I’m messaged my boo to remind him to add this test to his check-up list too.

*These stories are not the stories of the people in the photos and do not depict the health status of any individuals in the images.

If you've ever been
in a situation...

Sister to sister

Self-care goes deeper
than the skin.

If you are a Black woman between the ages of 29-49, you are in the group that is showing higher rates of HIV infection. Early detection is important in order to live a full, healthy life. 

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