Lisa Tiger was diagnosed with HIV in 1992.
She said she never thought her partner could be infected, let alone pass it on to her. Years after breaking up, Tiger ran into him and received the news of his infection.
“Back then, it took up to two weeks to get the results back,” Tiger said about HIV testing. “Now, you can get them in 10 to 15 minutes.”
Tiger is now an HIV/AIDS activist and motivational speaker. She hosted a seminar about the virus entitled “Keep On Keeping On” at Cal State Long Beach Nov. 18 as part of Native American Heritage month.
Tiger is a part of the Red Circle Project (RCP) at AIDS Project Los Angeles. The RCP is an organization that provides culturally competent resources, referrals, materials, and programs for Native Americans and Alaska natives in the Los Angeles area.
She said being negligent or denying that you are infected can make things worse. As HIV progresses, it lowers the immune system and eventually causes the cell count to drop to 200 or lower before developing into AIDS.
“It’s amazing that she triumphed over this illness and is here telling us her story,” sophomore health care administration major Shanelle Henry said. “I really learned a lot about something that relates to my future career.”
According to Tiger, there are new ways to test for the virus other than drawing blood. Alternatives include taking a DNA sample orally and a simple pricking of the finger.
During the seminar, Elton Naswood, project coordinator for the RCP, accompanied Tiger to address the misconception of how HIV is contracted.
Naswood said there are only four ways an individual can be infected with HIV, including unprotected sexual contact, mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy or while breast feeding, exposure to contaminated blood and sharing needles with an infected individual.
Naswood said HIV can’t be passed through bodily fluids like tears, saliva or sweat.
Even when she developed AIDS and Parkinson’s disease years after her original diagnosis, Tiger said she looks at the bright side of her situation. She uses a quirky sounding alarm to remind herself to take her medication and runs a mile every day.
“Exercise is good for the immune system,” Tiger said.
Exercise and good nutrition act as a supplement to the medication, not only for HIV/AIDS, but other medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure as well.
Those interested in more information can visit apla.org/native_american/RCP to learn about the RCP and their upcoming events.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.