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March 10, 2011 8:08 am ET

Unique HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Educational Series, Partnership Helps HIV+ Women of Color Share Their Stories

In honor of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day,
SisterLove, Inc., with support from Merck, today announced the launch of
“Everyone Has a Story,” a mini-documentary and educational HIV/AIDS
treatment and care resource. “Everyone Has a Story” features interviews
with HIV positive women speaking about the challenges of HIV and how
they seek to overcome them in their daily lives. It gives the HIV/AIDS
community a unique new tool to bring HIV-positive women critical
information and support, and help improve treatment access and adherence
among women of color.

In the United States, women account for more than one-quarter of all new
HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Among Black Americans, 1 in 30 women will receive a
positive HIV diagnosis at some point in their lifetime.

“We have come a long way over the 30 years of the HIV epidemic, but
there is still a lot to do,” says Dazon Dixon Diallo, Executive Director
of SisterLove. “At SisterLove, we have always recognized the power of
women’s voices. ‘Everyone Has a Story’ allows positive women of color to
explore issues related to HIV/AIDS while sharing their stories, which
helps change the way women of color are treated, access treatment and
care, and learn to live with HIV. We are proud and honored to partner
with Merck to launch this resource and support this dialogue.”

“Everyone Has a Story” is an educational series for healthcare
professionals, health advocates, and HIV/AIDS service organizations. The
series addresses critical topics around living with HIV/AIDS, including
starting and adhering to treatment, patient-provider relationships and
social support.

“Our longstanding commitment to improving access to HIV/AIDS treatment
and care, and reducing healthcare disparities, is part of Merck’s
mission to help more and more people around the world be well,” said
Patrick Bergstedt, senior vice president and general manager, Infectious
Diseases, Global Human Health, Merck. “Our collaboration with SisterLove
on ‘Everyone Has a Story’ is a critical part of this ongoing commitment
and we are excited to launch this resource today, in honor of National
Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. We are proud to partner with
SisterLove to make this innovative HIV/AIDS treatment and care education
series available to the HIV community.”

SisterLove will debut the “Everyone Has a Story” series this evening at
the Georgia Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Program and Gala, and
plans to introduce the series in other major U. S. cities throughout the
year. The event will honor women that have made significant
contributions to fight against HIV/AIDS, including SisterLove’s Diallo.

To view the video portion of this resource, please visit info@sisterlove.org
and for more information on HIV/AIDS, please visit www.healthywithhiv.com.

To Request “Everyone Has a Story”

“Everyone Has a Story” series content includes a DVD with five topical
vignettes, a “how-to” workshop preparation and facilitators guide, and a
workshop slide deck. To request the resource in DVD format or
web-friendly files, please contact: Vanessa Teller at 404-505-7777 or info@sisterlove.org.

About SisterLove

SisterLove is the first and largest non-profit in Georgia to focus
specifically on the needs of women at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS and
other sexually transmitted infections. SisterLove’s mission is to
eradicate the adverse impact of HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health
challenges upon women and their families through education, prevention,
support and human rights advocacy in the United States and around the
world.

About Merck

Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be
well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.
Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and
consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and
operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health
solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to
healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships that
donate and deliver our products to the people who need them. For more
information, visit www.merck.com.