Read on to find out about Deanna’s experience with HIV and how she became involved with the Burnet Institute

Q: What inspired you to become an Ambassador for the Burnet Institute?

A: I was competing in the Anaconda Adventure Races and Burnet is the charity partner of those events. I’d also heard about Burnet’s work with HIV in various HIV circles. I didn’t know a lot about the Institute; however I was invited to come in and take a tour of the Institute and was very impressed with their scientific research work towards HIV vaccine and trials. Even though I was living with HIV, I didn’t really understand a lot about it. I also had no idea about Burnet’s work internationally, running local HIV prevention programs. I could see the passion behind the programs and realised that the Burnet Institute was much more than research, they were doing HIV prevention at a community level and that inspired me to become involved.

Q: What do you hope to achieve through your Ambassador role?

A: By being involved as a Burnet Ambassador I am hoping to put a face to HIV, a face of normality, a face that could belong to the girl next door, your aunty, your friend. The face of HIV is a normal face, not a fearful face. My role as a Burnet Ambassador is to de-stigmatise HIV.

Q: What impresses you most about Burnet’s HIV work?

A: I am very impressed by Burnet’s work in local communities overseas. They help people to learn about HIV, live with HIV, they assist and teach local communities to prevent HIV transmission.

Q: Does your elite fitness and passion for adventure racing help break down stereotypical views about people living with HIV?

A: I imagine it would!  Most of the community associate HIV with sickness and poor health, being associated with fitness is not what people expect.

Q: Are you heartened by Burnet’s research into developing a vaccine to prevent HIV so other women won’t face your life hurdles?

A: I certainly am. Their work towards a vaccine is great; however prevention is always so much better than a cure as there is not a vaccine right now. I am really impressed that Burnet goes into local communities and helps people learn how to avoid becoming infected by HIV, allowing individuals to do the most within their own power to prevent it.

Q: You participated in the The Rainforest Ride: Cycle for a Cure – which was held in the Otway National Park on November 21 –  to assist Burnet in raising money and awareness about The ‘Big Three’: HIV, TB and malaria. How important is it for Burnet to find new ways to educate the community about these diseases?

A: I think many Australian are oblivious to the effects of HIV, TB and malaria. We are directly affected by HIV here in Australia, however I think we get ’settled’ and don’t think about what is happening elsewhere in the world. There is still a lack of knowledge in Australia about these diseases. To get support for work with The ‘Big Three’ you need education and understanding about them.

Q: Do you still experience any stigma associated with being HIV positive? How can that be overcome?

A: Not that affects me personally, although what happens behind my back I don’t know. The only discrimination I have faced was from the medical profession. I am open about my HIV status. Thankfully my two children have never been directly affected. That was my fear. It’s a Catch 22, you have to show the face of normality that belongs to anyone who is HIV positive to reduce stigma and by doing that you face the possibility of experiencing it. I am not ashamed of my HIV positive status and I have nothing to hide.

Find out how you can get involved with Burnet in the fight against HIV/AIDS