Student featured on 'Today' show speaks about growing up with HIV

Sophomore molecular biology major Paige Rawl wrote a memoir published on Aug. 26 through HarperCollins Publishers. Rawl
Sophomore molecular biology major Paige Rawl wrote a memoir published on Aug. 26 through HarperCollins Publishers. Rawl

After growing up with HIV, one Ball State student wrote a memoir that recently landed her a spot on the "Today" show.

Since she was 14, Paige Rawl, a sophomore molecular biology major, has spoken about her experience growing up with HIV. She was diagnosed before she was age 3, and has been living with it ever since. 

She said after the "Today" show segment aired, she received nothing but positive responses from people.

“Everyone was telling me how I could inspire others and encourage others and … I just knew this is what I’m supposed to be doing,” Rawl said. 

Rawl was bullied in middle school after she told a friend about her diagnosis, who then spread the information throughout the school.  

Since then, Rawl said it has only gotten easier to speak out about her story.

“At first I didn’t really know what to say, I didn’t know what people wanted to hear and how people were going to respond, so over the years it’s gotten a lot better,” Rawl said.

For Rawl, speaking out about her HIV status has been a way to cope with the bullying and the fact that she is HIV positive.

Almost 28 percent of students reported being bullied during the school year in 2011, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.

Rawl said since bullying has started reaching younger kids each year, there needs to be more education about both bullying and HIV. 

“When I went through bullying in middle school, it was really hard and I didn’t really ever understand what it meant to be HIV positive and live with that stigma out there,” Rawl said. “So sharing my story and educating people is so important so when kids get to that age in middle school - it’s already such a cruel time already - they’re able to be who they are and tell people they’re positive and be able to get good responses.”

People age 13-24 made up 26 percent of new HIV infections in the U.S. in 2011, according to the Center for Disease Control.

Rawl said because of her diagnosis, she has learned to take something negative and turn it into something positive, which is where the title for her memoir comes from.

“A lot of people know that HIV doesn’t define who I am,” Rawl said. “So I think the title ‘Postitive’ has just an overall theme of staying positive and not being negative about things and wanting to help others instead of bringing people down.”

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