Advocates have a responsibility -- one we take seriously -- to bridge the artificial divide between HIV and family planning. We cannot assume a functioning, rational health system is the norm for those most in need.

If only she'd been tested sooner, and if stigma and discrimination didn't exist as a result of ignorance, Nghimunya could have been spared so much suffering. But today Nghimunya is strong and healthy. She is the lead singer in her support group's choir, and she is an inspiration.

The stories I heard this morning at a support group for people who recently tested positive broke my heart. Now I see why fighting the stigma and discrimination around HIV is so important to prevention.

Connie had three children, but unbeknownst to her, she was HIV-positive. All three children died of AIDS complications because she didn't know her HIV status. After a long and very difficult struggle to regain her health, Connie became a formidable figure in Zambia.