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A teenager has opened up about the rejection and stigma she faced after being diagnosed with HIV in sixth grade, aged 12.
Paige Rawl, 18, from Indianapolis, Indiana, told the indystar.com that she confided in a best friend about her situation but two weeks later the news had spread around school.
As a result she was subjected to cruel taunts, and even her soccer coach crudely joked that she would be able to score more goals on the pitch because the opposition would be 'afraid' to touch her.
Recalling some of the other encounters that still haunt her today, she said: 'I had a note left on my lockers saying "no AIDS at this school".
'And I went from having tons of friends to hardly having any.'
The formerly upbeat teenager, who enjoyed playing soccer, participating in show choir and cheerleading, decided to quit school in eighth grade to escape the constant name-calling.
She continued her studies by being home schooled but found that not being social made her miserable.
She found that her peers and staff were supportive which gave her the strength to speak out and share her story.
Miss Rawl tested positive for HIV when she was 12 years old. She learned that she had had it from birth and contracted it from her mother.
Her father also passed away in 2001 of an AIDS-related illness but it wasn't established when or how he contracted the disease.
Today Miss Rawl is determined to combat the negativity surrounding HIV and AIDS, which she says stems from a 'lack of education and just the ignorance of people'.
The young activist has traveled around the country, sharing her knowledge with teens and adults. At 14 she became the youngest educator through the American Red Cross.
'I tell people, "HIV does not define who I am,"' she said. 'There is no certain face to HIV. This is the type of disease that doesn't discriminate.'
Miss Rawl's story will be covered in the October 2013 issue of Seventeen magazine as part of its Pretty Amazing contest.
Four other young women who are making an impact in their communities will also feature.
In addition to being recognized by Seventeen, the teen is also working on a book.
She plans to study molecular biology in the fall at Ball State University in hopes of becoming an HIV and AIDS drug researcher.
A teenager has opened up about the rejection and stigma she faced after being diagnosed with HIV in sixth grade, aged 12.
Paige Rawl, 18, from Indianapolis, Indiana, told the indystar.com that she confided in a best friend about her situation but two weeks later the news had spread around school.
As a result she was subjected to cruel taunts, and even her soccer coach crudely joked that she would be able to score more goals on the pitch because the opposition would be 'afraid' to touch her.
Difficult times: Paige Rawl from Indianapolis,
Indiana, has opened up about the rejection and stigma she faced after
being diagnosed with HIV in sixth grade
Recalling some of the other encounters that still haunt her today, she said: 'I had a note left on my lockers saying "no AIDS at this school".
'And I went from having tons of friends to hardly having any.'
The formerly upbeat teenager, who enjoyed playing soccer, participating in show choir and cheerleading, decided to quit school in eighth grade to escape the constant name-calling.
She continued her studies by being home schooled but found that not being social made her miserable.
'There is no certain face to HIV... This is the type of
disease that doesn't discriminate'
In a bid to get her confidence
back she decided to enroll at a different school for the ninth grade onward and from there
'things started to get better'. She found that her peers and staff were supportive which gave her the strength to speak out and share her story.
Miss Rawl tested positive for HIV when she was 12 years old. She learned that she had had it from birth and contracted it from her mother.
Her father also passed away in 2001 of an AIDS-related illness but it wasn't established when or how he contracted the disease.
Today Miss Rawl is determined to combat the negativity surrounding HIV and AIDS, which she says stems from a 'lack of education and just the ignorance of people'.
All-rounder: Miss Rawl (pictured right with a
friend) is a keen cheerleader and soccer player as well as being a HIV
and AIDS activist
The young activist has traveled around the country, sharing her knowledge with teens and adults. At 14 she became the youngest educator through the American Red Cross.
'I tell people, "HIV does not define who I am,"' she said. 'There is no certain face to HIV. This is the type of disease that doesn't discriminate.'
Miss Rawl's story will be covered in the October 2013 issue of Seventeen magazine as part of its Pretty Amazing contest.
Four other young women who are making an impact in their communities will also feature.
In addition to being recognized by Seventeen, the teen is also working on a book.
She plans to study molecular biology in the fall at Ball State University in hopes of becoming an HIV and AIDS drug researcher.
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