Rebekka Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Rebekka Lynn Armstrong is a Playboy
Playmate, whose announcement in 1994 that she was HIV
-positive made international headlines.
) one of the best-known public faces of heterosexual HIV transmission. In her speaking engagements, she notes that despite popular stereotypes of the wild sexual lives enjoyed by Playboy Playmates, she had in fact contracted HIV from a relatively normal teenage sexual encounter. In an interview Armstrong had stated she was unsure how exactly she contracted the virus; she believes it could have been when she had an abortion
, required a blood transfusion
, of which the blood may have been HIV-tainted, or it may have been a teenage sexual encounter with a man who had had homosexual relationships
and may have contracted HIV as a result of that.
In the same article in which she announced her HIV status, Armstrong also said she was a lesbian
. She was married to a man, Oliver Luettgenau, who died on March 1, 2009.
She is now an HIV/AIDS
awareness activist and safer sex educator, and a spokeswoman for several HIV-related charity groups. She has also become a competitive bodybuilder, and placed first in the middleweight category of the 2004 Los Angeles Bodybuilding and Figure Championship.
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Playmate, whose announcement in 1994 that she was 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...
-positive made international headlines.
Biography
Armstrong appeared in Playboys September 1986 issue, and tested positive for HIV in 1989. When she made her public announcement in 1994, she became (along with Magic JohnsonMagic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
) one of the best-known public faces of heterosexual HIV transmission. In her speaking engagements, she notes that despite popular stereotypes of the wild sexual lives enjoyed by Playboy Playmates, she had in fact contracted HIV from a relatively normal teenage sexual encounter. In an interview Armstrong had stated she was unsure how exactly she contracted the virus; she believes it could have been when she had an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, required a blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
, of which the blood may have been HIV-tainted, or it may have been a teenage sexual encounter with a man who had had homosexual relationships
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
and may have contracted HIV as a result of that.
In the same article in which she announced her HIV status, Armstrong also said she was a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
. She was married to a man, Oliver Luettgenau, who died on March 1, 2009.
She is now an HIV/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
awareness activist and safer sex educator, and a spokeswoman for several HIV-related charity groups. She has also become a competitive bodybuilder, and placed first in the middleweight category of the 2004 Los Angeles Bodybuilding and Figure Championship.
Contest history
- 2004 Muscle Beach (Venice Beach, CA) - 1st (LW & Overall)
- 2004 NPCNational Physique CommitteeThe National Physique Committee is the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States. Amateur bodybuilders compete in various competitions from local to national competitions sanctioned by the NPC...
Los Angeles Championship - 1st (MW) - 2005 NPC Pittsburgh - 1st (MW & Overall)
- 2005 NPC Nationals - 12th (HW)
External links
- Rebekka Armstrong: The Official Bodybuilding Website (Rebekka's official site focusing on HIV)
- Rebekka Armstrong and Oliver Luettgenau Prove There's Life - And Love! - After HIV by Lance Porter, HIV Positive magazine.
- A Bunny's Life (interview with Susan Forrest)
- Profile of Armstrong at Positive Nation