In 1990, Rebecca Denison accompanied a friend to get an AIDs test and took the test herself. The friend`s results were negative. Denison, who had been in a monogamous relationship for more than five years, and with no known risk factors, tested positive.
”I felt all control over my life had been ripped away,” says the immigration-law paralegal, 29. (She determined she contracted the virus from a former boyfriend.)
But Denison, of Oakland, Calif., decided to be an advocate rather than a victim in the fight against the disease. Her ammunition? A newsletter and resource network to help women diagnosed with HIV find vital information and support.
She created the monthly WORLD-Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Disease-in which women can share their experiences and feelings about living with the disease and receive news of research, treatment and legislation.
She started in May 1991 with a mailing list of about 200, but readership has grown to more than 1,000 worldwide. What`s more, the newsletter has spun off a speakers` bureau and sponsorship of educational and fundraising events. Denison says she`s found satisfaction in her work with WORLD, which she produces with the help of her husband and a volunteer staff.
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”This newsletter has given me back some of the control of my life . . . and I hope it empowers others,” says Denison, who so far has remained healthy, although she sometimes tires easily. ”I can`t stop the epidemic, but I can provide hope.”
The WORLD newsletter is free, although donations are needed. Write P.O. Box 11535, Oakland, Calif. 94611, or call 510-658-6930.