Sarah Jane Salazar
Encyclopedia
Sarah Jane Salazar born Marissa Reynon(1975 – June 11, 2000) was a Filipino AIDS
activist and educator and the second Filipino to go public with HIV
at age 19 in 1994 .
The first was Dolzura Cortez
.
Her life story was made into a movie The Secrets of Sarah Jane/Sana'y mapatawad mo in 1994 starring Gelli de Belen
, who won a best actress award for the role at the 1995 Gawad Urian Awards
.
for having sex with a 16 year old Ritchie Atizado without protection
. She then became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Atizado said that they were lovers. He later tested positive for HIV.
complications. Before her death, Salazar was confined at the National Center for Mental Health after being diagnosed with manic depression which doctors said may have been related to anti-AIDS drugs she was taking. She is survived by her boyfriend Ritchie, who is also HIV positive and her 2 children who tested negative for HIV.
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
activist and educator and the second Filipino to go public with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
at age 19 in 1994 .
The first was Dolzura Cortez
Dolzura Cortez
Ma. Dolzura Cortez is the first Filipino AIDS victim who came out in the open to tell about her life and how she acquired the AIDS virus....
.
Biography
She contracted HIV from a foreign customer while working as a club entertainer in the early 90's.Her life story was made into a movie The Secrets of Sarah Jane/Sana'y mapatawad mo in 1994 starring Gelli de Belen
Gelli de Belen
Gelli de Belen is a Filipino actress, and former child star. She is the sister of former child star Janice de Belen.-Early life:Born Anna Gianelli De Belen on May 25, 1973. She is the sister of actress and TV host Janice de Belen...
, who won a best actress award for the role at the 1995 Gawad Urian Awards
Gawad Urian Awards
The Gawad Urian Awards are annual film awards in the Philippines held since 1977. It is given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and is currently regarded as the counterpart of the United States' New York Film Critics Circle....
.
Controversies
In 1997, at 21 and already an HIV educator, Salazar was charged with child abuseChild abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
for having sex with a 16 year old Ritchie Atizado without protection
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
. She then became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Atizado said that they were lovers. He later tested positive for HIV.
Death
Salazar died on June 11, 2000 at the age of 25 from AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
complications. Before her death, Salazar was confined at the National Center for Mental Health after being diagnosed with manic depression which doctors said may have been related to anti-AIDS drugs she was taking. She is survived by her boyfriend Ritchie, who is also HIV positive and her 2 children who tested negative for HIV.