Around the world about a quarter of people living with #HIV are over 50; in the US that jumps to more than half. On National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day #NHAAAD we honor all those experiencing the many layers of #aging and HIV. Check out some materials developed for and by women aging with HIV!

Women Like Us – Aging Positively

Women Like Us – Aging Positively focuses on increasing overall health and wellness among women aging with HIV by increasing social connectedness and access to relevant health information.

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For years The Well Project has championed #sex-positivity and pleasure. In April we hosted a virtual discussion among #pleasure advocates; check out our latest offering from the convening ⤵️

Issue Brief | Claiming Pleasure in the Context of HIV: Optimizing Care for Women

Centering pleasure and affirming sexuality are not just an accessory in healthcare; this approach has been shown to have beneficial effects on women's health and well-being.

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"Everybody wants the redemption story." Alexandria, #AGirlLikeMe Stories in books have endings, but for people living with #HIV walking through our journey, our story may rewrite itself many times. Diagnosis is not the end, and remembering who we are helps us fill the pages. #womenempoweringwomen

DON'T YOU DARE LOSE YOURSELF

There is a different kind of pain in realizing the people who gave you life aren't necessarily the people who make you feel safe.

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🗣️ #BlackPride is more than a festival, it is a movement and a platform rooted in the experiences, histories, and futures of Black #LGBTQIA+ communities... We exist because our #community has always created spaces of care, resistance, celebration, and imagination..." @hivstigmafighter.bsky.social

Black Pride Amsterdam: A journey to liberation

With pride and urgency, I carried my message of HIV prevention and stigma reduction, delivered with the fervour our community deserves.

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It's #FactSheetFriday! The term "clinical trial" is used to describe many different types of research studies on people. There are basic things to know about what clinical trials do, what participation means, what your rights are, and so much more. #GetTheFacts ⤵

Understanding Clinical Trials

Learn why clinical trials are done, what types there are, how to decide whether to participate, and why it's important for women to be involved.

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"From the documentaries that were shared during the film screenings to the live performances on the main stage, I swear it wasn't nothing but smiles and laughter. I mean, every day ain't all rainbows but #HIV doesn't have to take your light." #AGirlLikeMe Ciarra "Ci Ci" Brown reflects on #AIDS2026 ⤵️

Come on chile, we got stuff to do!

Many of my thoughts land in a space of gratitude because my heart remains full that I get to meaningfully engage in work day-to-day that supports positive impact on the lives of women living with HIV.

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🗓 Save the date! On Thursday, September 24, join Ciarra "Ci Ci" Brown & Lepena Reid for #AGirlLikeMe LIVE, where we'll discuss the importance of #bonehealth, #exercise & specific health markers that shouldn't be ignored as women age with #HIV. See you there! ⤵ 🔗 bit.ly/AGLMLive47

Masonia Traylor's experience of parenting changed dramatically after her HIV diagnosis. "There were things that I would think about that I had never thought about before" she shares with Lynette Trawick in this clip from our series Having Babies & Living with #HIV. More at: bit.ly/HIV-transmission

It's #WorldSexualHealthDay and we encourage you to get information on taking charge of your sexual health, wellness, and autonomy! Speaking up for yourself is important, and your provider needs to know how to best assist you. #WomenandHIV #sexualhealth #selfcare #advocacy

Talking to Your Providers About Sexual Health: A Conversation Guide

Talking to your healthcare provider about sex can be uncomfortable. Use these talking points and questions to help inspire these critical conversations.

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#ICYMI If you've ever faced uncertainty about getting your nails done or wondered about disclosing to your hairdresser or tattoo artist, this is the conversation for you! @sosaidred.bsky.social & Ciarra "Ci Ci" Brown discuss #HIV #stigma & disclosure in beauty spaces. WATCH → bit.ly/AGLMLive46

"Trans people are beautiful as a butterfly with wings, In a world full of hate and all that that brings, It's really not easy to be transgender, But it's a group of which I'm proud to be a member." - KatieAdsila #AGirlLikeMe 🦋 Read Katie's full poem today. 🦋 #TransRightsAreHumanRights

To Be Transgender

It's really not easy to be transgender, There's little reward and even less splendor, Just social hate and judgement abounds, Where facts and truth and compassion dumbfounds...

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Members of The Well Project's staff presented a poster at #AIDS2026. Based on findings from our IRB-approved #community -based research project illuminating the impact of language, our poster features the collaborative work of a diverse, multidisciplinary group of women co-authors. Learn more ⤵️

Words Matter: Presenting on Stigmatizing Language in Healthcare at the 2026 International AIDS Conference

Four The Well Project staff members were at AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro to present a poster based on our original research, which included the input of a multidisciplinary group of more than 10 women ...

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At The Well Project, our values are reflected in the work we do and in the ways we show up for #community. Evidence-based and always learning means not just grounding our resources in evidence, but making sure we are in the places research is presented. @sosaidred.bsky.social at #WomenandHIV ⤵️

The Well Project at the 2026 International Workshop on Women & HIV

The Well Project team makes sure to be in places where research is presented. To that end, Bridgette Picou was in Prague in April 2026 to present a poster based on our study on stigmatizing language.

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"Jyoti Dhawale stands in the long lineage of people who refuse silence." What do hope, Nelson Mandela and the #HIV community have in common? Read this warm blog by @hivstigmafighter.bsky.social about her fellow #AGirlLikeMe blogger Jyoti and find out! #womenempoweringwomen #endHIVstigma

Mandela Day 2026 – Stories of Hope 5 years

Jyoti Dhawale stands in the long lineage of people who refuse silence. For more than 20 years, she has lived openly with HIV in a society where stigma still tries to shape destiny.

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🤱🏾 For Lynette Trawick, conflicting understandings around #HIV and breast/chestfeeding collided in a visit with a nutritionist from outside the US while carrying her 3rd child. She recalls the conversation in this clip. More ➡️ bit.ly/CanIBreastfeed #WellnessWednesday #blackbreastfeedingweek #BBW26

Shifting perceptions and conversations around the changes of menopause can begin before a girl or other young person even has their first period! The start of menstruation is also a life transition, and some communities choose to honor it with a "period party." More ➡️ bit.ly/WomenAgingPositively

"If you're struggling with something heavy, too heavy to bear, please reach out in some form. Don't hesitate or feel like a drama queen to ask for help. You are loved and appreciated and you are not alone." @katie6817.bsky.social #AGirlLikeMe Read more from Katie ⤵️ #womenempoweringwomen #womenandHIV

One Hell of a Week

Sure I think about HIV, especially as an advocate in this field, but my life encompasses so much more than HIV. All of ours do.

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Today is Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to address the impact of HIV on people living in the South. Let’s work together to expand access to HIV resources, encourage testing, and educate about HIV prevention. Visit southernaidscoalition.org & until.org to learn more! #SHAAD #UntilTheresACure

"I want readers to know that healing isn't a straight line. We all have chapters we'd rather forget, but those chapters don't define us. If my words help even one person feel seen, understood, or hopeful, then sharing my story is worth it." Help us welcome Alexandria to #AGirlLikeMe - #WomenandHIV

Intro – Alexandria

Joining this blog will allow me to connect with other women living with HIV/AIDS, contribute to an important community, and continue using my voice to encourage, support, and advocate for others.

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At the time Lynette Trawick gave birth to her third child, the guidance was that she could not safely breastfeed as she had done with her two babies born before she was living with HIV. Lynette opens up to Masonia Traylor about her concerns around bonding and how she coped. ➡️ bit.ly/CanIBreastfeed

Participating in trials is not the only way women can be involved in #research. Community involvement extends to having resources available to share knowledge so women can make informed decisions. Read more, find information, and learn how to submit information to this resource ⤵️ #HIV #HIVcure

Women and HIV Cure Resources

Based on input from a wide range of stakeholders, The Well Project has put together a collection of resources specific and relevant to women and HIV cure research.

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"I have attended AIDS conferences since 2018, and this was the first time a drag king performed on that stage. So, Eric the Dragking did their best to dance #HIV stigma away on the stage. We felt proud. We felt seen." @hivstigmafighter.bsky.social #AGirlLikeMe #AIDS2026 #prepaccess #endhivstigma

RISE in Rio

Rio reminded me that ultimately the HIV response is powered by people from the many local HIV communities who refuse to disappear.

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Our "Aging with HIV since Birth: The Journey of Women Lifetime Survivors" focus is a response to the reality that the unique needs & experiences of Lifetime Survivors/Dandelions (people who acquired HIV perinatally or early in life) remain largely unseen & unaddressed by #HIV research. Learn more ⤵️

Introducing WRI 2026 Webinars!

In 2026, The Well Project's Women's Research Initiative on HIV/AIDS (WRI) is focusing our programming on "Aging with HIV since Birth: The Journey of Women Lifetime Survivors." This year's programming ...

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"At 48 I look back at my life and it's clear that the only reason I'm standing here with my Beeb and NuNu is because Jesus literally has saved me." Faith is an unshakable part of the journey for many women living with #HIV. #AGirlLikeMe blogger TrulyBlessed shares a testament and her gratitude. ⤵️

Still Standing

At 48 I look back at my life and it's clear that the only reason I'm standing here with my Beeb and NuNu is because Jesus literally has saved me.

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"I am the caterpillar who was living so sad, Looking for purpose in the life that I had, Living in a form in which I didn't belong, In a body not mine that just felt wrong" The blogs on #AGirlLikeMe are as varied as our community of women. Read this poem by longtime advocate @katie6817.bsky.social

The Caterpillar

The caterpillar is sad as it crawls along the way - And it looks for its purpose in every single day

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🤱🏾 It's #NationalBreastfeedingMonth! Talking to your provider about infant-feeding options when you're living with #HIV can be nerve-wracking for many new and expecting parents. The Well Project has created a series of talking points and questions you can use to start this discussion. Get it here! ⤵️

Resources to Talk to Your Provider about Breastfeeding and HIV

Find out more about breast/chestfeeding and HIV, ways to discuss this option with healthcare providers, and stories from women living with HIV who have breastfed their babies.

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It's #FactSheetFriday! Let's talk about the body, fat in the body, and metabolism. Fat is needed for the body to function. Lipodystrophy means abnormal fat changes. People living with #HIV who have lipodystrophy can have both body shape changes and metabolic problems. #GetTheFacts ⤵️

Lipodystrophy Treatments Part II: Treatments for Fat Loss

Lipodystrophy means abnormal fat changes. This fact sheet addresses treatments for fat loss, or lipoatrophy.

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"After 23 years, I finally lived my honeymoon in Vietnam. I did not give up on my dream. As my hero of hope Nelson Mandela said: 'A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.'" @hivstigmafighter.bsky.social has a unique way of connecting experiences to #HIV and justice. Read more on #AGirlLikeMe ⤵️

Time travel – A honeymoon 23 years later

My story feels like time travel, which is not only about machines or science fiction. Sometimes, it is about memory, longing, and dreams that refuse to die.

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Community, advocacy, and engagement are at the heart of what we do at #TheWellProject. Our commitment is clear and we are proud of what we have accomplished - with women at the forefront. Read our most recent annual report and learn why our work matters! #WomenandHIV #womenempoweringwomen ⤵️

Driving Impact and Positive Change: The Well Project 2025 Annual Report

Our 2025 Annual Report focuses on the impact that The Well Project has on the broader HIV community, including women living with and vulnerable to HIV, healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers,...

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#PrEP is an effective method of preventing the acquisition of #HIV. It's also been proven to be an ongoing & nuanced conversation for Black women. Is it right for them? Do they see & understand the need for it? Advocate, nurse & woman living with HIV @sosaidred.bsky.social explores this below. ⤵️

PrEPping for What You Don't Know

What if HIV prevention made sense to Black women?

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