My earliest memory of AIDS comes from about 7 years ago when I was just about to enter middle school. During the summer right before the 6^th grade at the age of 11, I learned about AIDS through a summer program called “Girl’s Incorporated” in St. Louis, Missouri.

While at “Girl’s Inc,” I took a health class that focused on feminine issues such as pregnancy, menstrual cycles, sex, diseases, and AIDS. Over the course of time, the class discussed all of these issues and eventually reached the topic of AIDS near the end of the course. As we discussed the AIDS epidemic, I learned a lot about people who have AIDS, ways of contracting the virus and preventative measures to take to prevent from contracting the virus. At the very end of the course, we were introduced to a young woman, around 25, who had full-blown AIDS. When she came in to talk with us, she appeared very sick and frail, almost as a walking skeleton. When I first met her, I felt increasingly uneasy. I did not want to hug her or shake her hand because stupidly, I was still afraid of possibly contracting the virus although I knew better. When she talked, I wanted to cover my mouth, fearing that the AIDS virus may become airborne at just that moment or that her spit would land on me and I would contract the virus just that easily. Although my perception of AIDS at the time was foolish and flawed, I could not help but to shiver when she glanced at me or even walked my way. During the discussion, she talked about the life that she lived, how she contracted the disease and the medicines that she took everyday as she awaited her death. After hearing her story, I finally worked up the courage to go and give her a hug and it just so happened that I did not catch the disease. That day I learned that AIDS was sadly real and could attack just about anyone. I was faced with the reality of AIDS as I listened to this woman speak about her life and I truly felt sorry for her. Sadly, a couple of months later, she died of AIDS and I still feel bad that initially, I was so reluctant to get to know more about the virus through her eyes.