"It Just Wants You."

Although, some communities are becoming infected with HIV at increasingly higher rates than others, HIV still remains a disease that is indiscriminate of race, class, religion, sexual orientation and gender.  As one participant in the Aid to Inmate Mothers(AIM) program put it, “it just wants you.” The Choice Is Yours: Voices from Dorm E¹, is a magazine that serves as an outlet for inmate mothers who are HIV positive, to provide guidance and outreach on dealing with HIV/AIDS and real-life suggestions for its prevention.

The Choice Is Yours

The Choice Is Yours magazine features artwork, stories, advice, fotonovelas and poetry conveying the importance of self-esteem and the advocacy of self-responsibility.  This project was a collaboration with the Aid to Inmate Mothers program, at Tutwiler Prison (a division of the Alabama Department of Corrections) and the RWHP.  The messages of these women, developed through self-reflection on their personal struggles with the disease and substance abuse, share their optimistic plans to make a positive impact despite their physical and social conditions.

As World AIDS Day approaches, we reflect on the impact that the disease has had in our communities. "This project vindicates the voices of those in the community, and in the case of the women in the AIM program, lifted their morale, encouraged the women to learn more about their condition and made them feel capable of making positive contributions to society," Carol Potok, director of the AIM program, said.

Click the following links to view slideshows of reflections of AIM women: When I Close My Eyes or The Message I Want to Share.  To see more, go to The Choice is Yours. To learn more about the Rural Women’s Health Project’s community-based services and educational materials, visit our website at www.rwhp.org.

¹A collaboration of AIM, Alabama Department of Corrections and the Rural Women’s Health Project, funded by the Southern HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiative, Pfizer, Inc.