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I am sounding like a broken record but we need to find a way around HIV stigma. We need to dismantle it. It causes a lot of harm.
I was disappointed two days ago when I walked into a conversation happening in the ward between two patients and a nurse.
I was disappointed two days ago when I walked into a conversation happening in the ward between two patients and a nurse.
The one patient was adamant that “Having HIV is embarrassing” little did she know that the person she was talking to was in fact positive. I don’t know how the conversation started but the sister and I really struggled to help her see otherwise
And to protect my positive patient I just asked for the conversation to be moved on to another topic.
I later went in to speak to this other patient to try understand how she came to this opinion that HIV is embarrassing.
I later went in to speak to this other patient to try understand how she came to this opinion that HIV is embarrassing.
I mean I’ve heard a lot of opinions on it, but embarrassing is not the adjective I’ve heard before.
She then explained to me that she feels like if you get it through sex then you should be embarrassed. So we then spoke openly about sex, asked her if she can at least confirm
She then explained to me that she feels like if you get it through sex then you should be embarrassed. So we then spoke openly about sex, asked her if she can at least confirm
That she has never had unprotected sex before. Unfortunately for her argument, she couldn’t confirm that. She then steered towards how it’s not great taking all those pills. So we then spoke about Treatment and how in fact it’s actually one pill, two if you fail on the one
But for most it’s one and in actual fact; her pathology is far worse and more debilitating than what she thinks HIV is, and she takes far more tablets. And It’s only then when she was reminded that she too had a chronic illness. That she could see her logic was not fair
And she too could be stigmatized. And look from how confidently she spoke I could tell it was not a matter of her wanting to cause harm, but I realized from that experience how a lack of education and information is what is breeding this monster. And how we need to be better
Furthermore; I want to urge everyone to take a moment to learn a little about HIV. 90% of you will know someone living with it and in some cases that person will be you. Don’t let misinformation be the reason why HIV kills you or anybody else
If you have a moment, please check out this link this page belongs to a lady that’s welcomed us all in to her personal journey with HIV, it’s not from a medical view which I think is better, she has taught me a lot from the little I’ve watched
I wish everyday my aunts had an opportunity to see others living with HIV and having fruitful lives so that they could have believed that it’s possible for them.
We are lucky we have the amount of access we do to information, let’s utilize it &Let’s be smarter about HIV
We are lucky we have the amount of access we do to information, let’s utilize it &Let’s be smarter about HIV
