Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive

Marvelyn Brown
The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and HIV Positive

One Wednesday, January 27th at 7:00pm, the Women's Coordinating Council presented Marvelyn Brown, a twenty five year old woman who was diagnosed as HIV positive when she was nineteen years old. Originally from Nashville, TN, since her diagnosis Brown not only engages with audiences from Rwanda to Canada, but also was awarded a 2007 Emmy Award for Outstanding National Public Service Announcement. Brown has also written an autobiography “The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive, and is the CEO and Independent HIV Consultant for Marvelous Connections. The program began with some fast facts on HIV: “Every 5 seconds someone is infected with HIV/AIDs;” and a video featuring Brown during an interview relating some of her experiences as a HIV woman who travels around the world to speak about the virus: “I have had people say that I was disgusting...you should go kill yourself...you're making the United States look bad.”

After the introduction, Brown immediately takes the audience back to July 17th, 2003, the day she learned that she had contracted HIV: “I had been in the hospital for two, two in a half weeks and was running a fever of 106 degrees. The doctor told my mother that I had twenty four hours to live.” Fortunately, Brown was stabilized that night and told that she had contracted pneumonia. It was not until a little bit later that her doctor revealed to her that she was also HIV positive. Upon learning her diagnosis, Brown turned to her family and friends not only for support, but to also find out information on HIV. Instead of answers, however, Brown was shunned by her friends and held at a distance by her family. “Don't tell anyone,”was her mother's initial response, followed by “if anyone asks tell them you have cancer.” Going to church, was no better, as Brown was told that HIV was God's punishment for “fornicating.” From this rocky start Brown has since moved from waiting to die from HIV to traveling around the world and becoming renowned for her advocacy on HIV/AIDS education. “The three most important messages I want people to take from me are: get tested, educated, and be responsible.”

Some of the questions included:

“How do you deal with the dating scene, and do you plan on have kids on day?”
“Difficult...I always tell that I'm positive. I get different reactions...one guy said if I didnt want to talk to him thats all I had to say...but now I'm more approached than before, and usually disclosure is not a problem because of the settings I meet people in. I do plan on having kids one day, and there are many ways for me to have children and insure that they are HIV negative.”

“What are the physical effects that you have to deal with now that you did not have before (your diagnosis)?”
“None, besides the medicine.”

“How is the relationship with your family now that you're an (HIV) advocate?”
“They are supportive of me, but there are still trust issues.”

“Have you noticed if certain regions/countries differ in their approach to sex education?”
“Mostly in the Bible Belt, but understand that (HIV) stigma is universal.”

“Can a blood transfusion get rid of the virus?”
“That may be possible, but because the virus can live in the organs, it would not be a possible option for everyone. Believe me, I would have done it by now.”