Watch: Stop Da Stigma

Wanda Carter, an Augusta, Georgia woman who has been HIV-positive for almost 30 years, recently held her 5th annual "Stop Da Stigma" event to promote HIV awareness and reduce stigma.

“We gotta get more of us to stand up so we can stop the stigma, so people can know its just what I have it's not who I am,” Collier told her local NBC station. 

In addition to being poz, Collier says she's battled a drug addiction and has struggled with mental health issues.

"With all of that comes stigma," Collier said. "So its just like, 'Stop da stigma' isn’t just about HIV — its about all the way around.”

Ann Lewis, who got involved with the project just a few months ago, said, “Wanda stops the stigma. She goes and she talks and she talks to kids and she talks to adults and she’s not afraid. And I think that that’s the most important thing is not being afraid to speak up and speak out.”

Watch more about Collier and "Stop da Stigma" here: