Mother’s Day is supposed to be a joyful celebration of all that women do for their children. But for the 1.5 million U.S. moms whose sons and daughters have died from AIDS or are living with HIV, the occasion is likely to provoke other emotions—sorrow, regret, fear, even anger.
Can Mother’s Day ever be the same for women whose lives have been forever altered by AIDS? Ask Laura Hall, a 61-year-old Alabama state representative whose son, Ato, died of AIDS in 1991. Or Ina Wilson, a Chicago mother whose son, Phill, has been living with HIV for 20 years. Or Michelle Lopez, an HIV-positive mother of two who has helped empower and educate women in New York City and around the county. Each of these women has a different story to tell about their struggle, yet all are mothers with a common mission—to tell other moms that loving their children means talking to them about sex and giving them the information that will keep them healthy.
Every year, 20,000 young people 25 and under become infected with HIV; one in two will develop a sexually transmitted disease by the time they reach 25. Teen girls comprise more than half (56 percent) of reported HIV cases among teens; young women 20 to 24 account for 41 percent of new infections in that age group. Among new teen AIDS cases, African Americans account for 61 percent and Latinos comprise 21 percent. Get educated, and help educate youth.