252 Bryant Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605 • (914) 948-2932

Maria Mejia

Maria Mejia Biography

Maria is the co-author of the book, From a Warrior’s Passion and Pain, a real-life account of her 34-year battle with HIV. She is currently the co-chair of the Women and Minorities Outreach for the Dab the AIDS bear project. Today Maria lives in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. She continues to build support, educate, and encourage testing and health care in a city with one of the highest new HIV infection rates in the country.

Maria is a part of the campaign “Let’s Stop HIV Together” for the Center for Disease Control as their Ambassador. She is also an ambassador for a Greater than AIDS ongoing Campaign for women, HIV, Trauma, and IPV, “The Stigma Project, and The Global Ambassador and CAB member for the Women's organization "The Well Project."

Diagnosed with HIV in 1991 and infected in 1988 and the age of 15, Maria began a long journey finding hope, pride, and passion in an undereducated society unprepared to deal with the growing epidemic of HIV and AIDS. After ten years without treatment, Maria found herself at a crossroads. She could begin medical treatment or continue to slide towards death.

Thankfully, she chose to live and to fight for more than just her own health. Maria immersed herself in HIV/AIDS education and became a powerful activist for education, treatment, testing, prevention, LGBTQ and human rights. She has been featured in various magazines, billboards, TV as well as national and international conventions. Maria has been a part of four documentaries to help raise HIV awareness. She is a volunteer for the Red Cross, an HIV educator for Jackson Memorial Hospital, and a motivational speaker. She is an HIV consultant and a member of several digital advisory boards including :

  • Janssen Pharmaceuticals Digital advisory board
  • Global Ambasador and Comunity advisory board The Well Project 
  • Board of Directors "CANN" in Washington DC
  • U equals U National and international steering committee and also one of the first ambassadors for preventionaccesscampaign.org
  • She sits in the board of Positive Peoples Network in Miami, Florida
  • Co-founder of the first Latin x positive peoples network in the United States
  • SAG member with the sustain team representing my state of Florida
  • Legislation for the LGBTQ community and HIV community for Equality Florida
  • Commissioner for IAPAC HIV Lancet representing the community of PLHA in the United States
  • Board of Directors for Arianna Center
  • Assistant researcher for The University of Connecticut (MIPHA legacy) Interviewing human subjects


Her awards include:

  • Maria is the recipient of: ADAP association award (Social Media campaign of the year)2012
  • Leaders lovelies and Legends award 2013
  • Dennis de Leon (Voz de compromiso award) 2014
  • “41 List” honoree 2014 for the LGBT community as one of the 41 Latino leaders 2014
  • Sister Love 20/20 women's leader society 2016
  • Top 100 LTSs Poz Magazine
  • Top 20 Activist list HIV plus magazine
  • Iris house award 2022

 

Her Social Media and digital credentials:



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