FOCUS ON ILSA

At 18 years old, Ilsa Aguilar is the youngest participant in Historias Positivas and had been living with HIV for two years. In her biography she said, “The doctor informed my parents of the diagnosis. To them it was harder to learn that I had HIV than to learn that I was trans, although they think that one thing led to the other.

“The first time I dressed as a woman I felt I was another person. My gestures no longer provoked laughter. I don’t care any longer about the way others react. No matter what I do, I am a person who matters.”

During the course of the week, Ilsa participated in rallies and sessions to educate people about HIV. Ilsa is growing into a fine activist.