Christina Rodriguez, 20, was born HIV-positive and found out about her status at age five. In 2005, she and her older sister, who is HIV-negative, started SMART Youth—an offshoot of her mother’s nonprofit organization, SMART University—in order to educate young people about HIV/AIDS. At the International AIDS Conference, Rodriguez told GlobalPost about her experience growing up with HIV, her struggles with disclosure, and her suggestions for how to give young people more support.

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