Maria Mejia is a Global Ambassador, Community Advisory Board member and A Girl Like Me blogger for The Well Project. Diagnosed with HIV in 1991, Mejia began a long journey to find hope, pride and passion in a society unprepared to deal with the growing epidemic of HIV and AIDS. After living with HIV for 10 years without treatment, Mejia found herself at a crossroads: she could begin medical treatment or continue to slide towards death. Mejia chose to live and to fight for more than just her own health.

Mejia immersed herself in HIV/AIDS education and became a powerful activist for education, treatment, testing and prevention. In 2010, Mejia first became involved with The Well Project by joining the newly formed A Girl Like Me blog, when she decided to utilize social media and the power of the internet to reach people around the world. Since then, she has also attended a number of conferences on behalf of The Well Project and became a member of their Community Advisory Board in 2014.

In recent years, Mejia has received recognition for her activism and social media initiatives, including being named the top 20 Most Amazing HIV-Positive Women (HIV Plus), the 2014 Dennis de Leon voz de compromiso award (Latino Commission on AIDS), the 2013 Leaders, Lovelies and Legends award, Social Media Campaign of the year for 2012 (ADAP Association), and a being named a 2014 "41 List" honoree (one of 41 Latino leaders in the LGBT community).

Mejia is the co-author of the book "From a Warrior's Passion and Pain," a real life account of her 25-year battle with HIV. She has also spoken at national and international conventions and been featured in numerous campaigns including the upcoming Greater Than AIDS campaign on IPV, HIV and women, the Centers for Disease Control's campaign, "Let's Stop HIV Together", The Stigma Project and the Office of Women's Health's National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).

In addition to her work for The Well Project, Mejia is a public speaker, a volunteer for the Red Cross, an HIV educator for Jackson Memorial Hospital, a co-chair for Women and Minorities Outreach for the Dab the AIDS bear project, and a member of Janssen Pharmaceuticals' digital advisory board.

Mejia is a long-term survivor of HIV. Residing in South Florida, Mejia continues to build support, educate, and encourage testing and health care in a city with one of the highest new HIV infection rates in the country.

AIDS / HIV, Activists, Latin America, Hispanic Heritage, Motivational Authors, Sexual Violence, Personal Story, Health,