Jennifer Reeves

“Never in a million years did I think that I would be part of that statistic.” Leigh Owens, a native Californian, says that growing up on the West Coast in the 80s, she had always heard about the HIV crisis,…

From the time she was a teenager, personal trainer and fitness coach Carly-Ann Dell knew that something was wrong with her health — but she didn’t know what.

At the center of her life, Jasmine “Ivanna” Espy is a storyteller. Whether she’s writing poetry or directing film, Espy’s dream is not only to share the experience of being human, but to inspire others to share their stories, too.

Though you’ve probably come across many people who have been supportive and loving partners to those struggling with chronic illnesses, you might not have come across Anjel Marii.

“I sometimes think back to that moment and of how blissfully unaware I was of what the next decade would look like for me,” Pooja Parikh, an Oklahoma City local and years-long HS sufferer shares, recalling the first flare up…

“One minute I was serving customers and making smoothies and the next I was lying on the floor crying from the pain.” For Bec Hansen, a photographer from Brisbane, Australia, being diagnosed with Endometriosis didn’t quite come as a surprise…

Laverne Cox has spent her life breaking through barriers. Now, she wants to help break another: the stigma and misunderstanding surrounding the HIV+ community.

It’s that time of year again: gifts abound, families and friends reunite, and we all begin to contemplate the ways in which we might be able to give back to our communities.

“The first words out of my mouth were: ‘How long do I have to live?’ That’s how uneducated I was.” Hernando Umana had been seeing tremendous personal and professional success since he was a child.

Sometimes, it’s our own personal battles that inspire our greatest successes. In the case of Suzanne Moloney, it was her own Hidradenitis Suppurativa diagnosis that led her to create HidraWear, which are dressings specifically designed for people with HS.

After growing up in the Deep South, Asia Sullivan found her calling in healthcare, specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, and those with HIV.

When Jahlove Serrano was 16-years-old, he lost his virginity, and gained a diagnosis. Growing up in New York, Serrano said that condoms were “never a thought” when it came to safe sex practices.

When she realized how little information was available for holistic or alternative methods of treating Endometriosis, London-based writer and podcaster Jessica Duffin decided to make a media brand of her own.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa is a skin disorder in which pimple-like bumps appear on the skin.

For Jordanna Tucker, her Endometriosis diagnosis was as most women’s is: “drawn out and well overdue.” The 26-year-old Queensland native is now a graphic designer, and has put a lot of her skills to use on social media, where she…

For Hayley Ray, the first symptoms of Endometriosis started innocuously enough. By 12 or 13-years-old, she was experiencing increased bleeding during periods, clots, and cramping in her abdomen.

This is one personal story of being affected by Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). If you or anyone you know would like to share your experience, please contact tellmystory@thoughtcatalog.com.

“Are you gonna tell him, or should I?” Those were the words Dimitri Joseph Moïse heard outside a room in his doctor’s office, where he sat waiting to hear whether or not his HIV test was positive.