NEW YORK CITY, November 13, 2017 — POZ magazine, the award-winning print and online brand for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, today announced the annual “POZ 100,” highlighting individuals working to combat HIV/AIDS chosen from nominations by readers.

This year, POZ focused on women, both living with the virus and those who are HIV negative, from across the United States. Women represent about a quarter of people living with HIV nationwide.

“The idea that HIV affects only gay and bisexual men is clearly a myth,” said Oriol Gutierrez, POZ’s editor-in-chief. “However, because of this long-standing myth, women are often ignored or dismissed as an afterthought in the larger discussions surrounding HIV/AIDS,” Gutierrez continued.

“We are proud to spotlight the contributions of women in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” Gutierrez said. “We are especially pleased to celebrate women in 2017, since women’s issues are so front and center in this year’s national dialogue,” concluded Gutierrez.

Among this year’s list are Barb Cardell, chair of the Positive Women’s Network–USA; Sharen Duke, CEO of The Alliance for Positive Change; Grissel Granados, former member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) who resigned in protest; Monica Johnson, founder and executive director of Helping Everyone Receive Ongoing Effective Support (HEROES); Arianna Lint, CEO of Arianna’s Center; and Venita Ray, lawyer and public policy manager for Legacy Community Health Services.

Go to poz.com/100 to see this year’s full list.

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POZ is an award-winning print and online brand for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Offering unparalleled editorial excellence since 1994, POZ and POZ.com are identified by our readers as their most trusted sources of information about the disease.

POZ is published by Smart + Strong, which produces health-focused magazines and websites that empower and inspire. Our additional award-winning brands include Real Health magazine and RealHealthMag.com; Hep magazine and HepMag.com; and Cancer Health magazine and CancerHealth.com.