Pregnancy – Stories

Antoinette Jones began her work in advocacy in her early 20s, as a Peer specialist facilitating access to preventative care and treatment for people living with and at risk for HIV. She identifies as a Dandelion Women Living with HIV; meaning she has been living with HIV since Birth.. Antoinette is the co-executive director and co-founder of “The Dandelions Movement” which centers the needs of people born with HIV through mentorship, healing, and peer to peer interventions. Antoinette specializes in reproductive healthcare, wholistic wellness, human rights, and dignity for black and indigenous womxn. She works in partnership with organizations and providers to improve treatments and services for Black Women. She has also contributed to the advancements in the federal guidelines around breast/chest feeding for women living with HIV.  Antoinette uses her Artivist mind, voice, and power to bridge unique intersections amongst the creators of our time and black health.
follow Antoinette on IG @itstheantoinette

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The Dandelions Movement is a “For Us -By Us” movement accountable for communities who identify as lifetime survivors of HIV. Our mission is to to free our community from isolation, Stigma, Violence, and Discrimination. We maintain a commitment to identifying 7,000+ Dandelions in the U.S and Globally; creating a space that encompasses safety, respect, and Love.

The Dandelions Movement  envisions an equal and equitable future for all lifetime survivors, Revolutionizing how HIV impacts our community through a lift as we climb approach to ensure community inclusion is ongoing-ly sewn into the work. We refuse to allow our siblings to believe, there is not a fellow Dandelion in the weeds.
Follow the dandelions movement on IG @Dandelions_movement

Ciarra “Ci Ci” Covin is an international maternal and family wellness expert dedicated to advancing the right to bodily autonomy for women living with HIV and their families as they navigate the lives they envision for themselves. As a woman living with HIV who has birthed two children (and breastfed one) who are HIV-negative while living in the United States, Ci Ci has become a respected and highly sought after advocate, speaker, expert, and facilitator in the HIV community and beyond.

Community are those that get it. You don’t have to much explaining or justifying, they just understand. I found my community when I found The Well Project.

Ja’Mel Ashely Ware is a 33-year-old entertainer, entrepreneur, and educator, known for his work in HIV awareness and entrepreneurship. In 2022, he became a proud seahorse dad, giving birth to a beautiful child, which inspired him to use his platform to raise awareness about gender diversity and the experiences of trans men who choose or desire to give birth. Born with HIV, Ja’Mel has been traveling the nation since he was seven years old, sharing his life story and inspiring people with hope and compassion. Despite being orphaned at the age of 15, Ja’Mel continued to pursue his academic journey at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he earned a degree in Social Work. He then created his brand, Intellectual Ratchet (IR), and became an entrepreneur, public speaker, and educator. Ja’Mel is currently working on his next entrepreneurial venture, but in the meantime, he runs Project Innovate, a micro-grant program of THRIVE SS. Through a curriculum he designed himself, Ja’Mel teaches aspiring entrepreneurs between 18 and 29 how to use their brand to reduce HIV stigma. In addition, his calm-rational approach allows him to connect and engage with diverse communities to transform their experiences into tangible resources for themselves and their communities.

Ja’Mel’s community contributors and developments have awarded him several awards for his hard work, including the Hope Award from I Am Human, the Pioneer of Resilience Award from Trans Life Awards, the Transgender Advocate Award from the Men’s Engagement Network, Young Entrepreneur of the Year from the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Community Spotlight Award from the Urban Community Arts Network. Ja’Mel centers himself through his faith in God and continues to inspire and empower others through his work, promoting healing, inclusion, and compassion in diverse communities. Ware is committed to making a positive impact on the world and follows the moto, “Live Life Whole. Be your complete self, and live life fully.” He will continue his educational pursuits this fall at Emory University Goizueta Business school to obtain his MBA in the class of 2026.