She was 18 and pregnant when she discovered she was HIV positive

Jason Clanton of Howard Brown Health speaks at an event to bring awareness about people living with HIV at Jesus Word Center on Dec 10, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. — TNS

Eighteen years ago, Chatrivia Kennedy learned she was HIV positive when her partner was hospitalised with an HIV-related illness. She was eight months pregnant.

She suffered in silence for many years, but eventually gained the courage to disclose her status on World AIDS Day 2018 in a video posted on YouTube, 14 years after her diagnoses.