Blood Ties

Blood Ties is a collection of the stories of five Australian HIV-positive women. These powerful narratives reveal how each woman has approached her predicament, and the inner qualities she drawn on to persevere. The authors' honest and courageous writing allows us to live with them through their struggles. What emerges is a triumph of the human spirit over adversity. There are few stories by or about HIV-positive women - the silence surrounding this issue has rendered 'positive' women invisible and voiceless participants in this contemporary epidemic. The editor, Salli Trathen, and the five authors hope that the publication of their stories will help overcome the isolation and stigmatisation felt by many HIV-positive women, and also reduce the spread of HIV infection among women. Blood Ties raises social issues that warrant community discussion, and presents personal challenges that arise only when we confront our own mortality.

‘What shines through each of the stories is that the tellers are willing to travel in the dark, believing that there is light, that even difficult lives have value and suffering has meaning.'  From the foreword by Moira Rayner, Director, London Children's Rights Commissioner.