Despite H.I.V., Fighting to Maintain Health and a Positive Attitude

Despite H.I.V., Fighting to Maintain Health and a Positive Attitude
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times

Frances Melendez, left, who leads the Divas, a support group for H.I.V.-positive women in Harlem, with a client, Patricia Clouden.

By SALLY SARA
Published: May 18, 2008

Patricia Clouden dresses in a whirl of color, from her bright African dress to her shiny green toenail polish. She is a grandmother of eight who gets noticed in her Harlem neighborhood and is not afraid to speak her mind.

“I’m not a ‘Yes, ma’am’ no more,” she told a group of about a dozen women seated around a boardroom table one recent afternoon. “I’m a warrior.”

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