VCT Giving Hope to the Infected

Ruth Mwale

27 April 2011

DEBORAH Mwale was devastated and thought her life had come to an end when she discovered that she was HIV positive after undergoing Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) at one of the centres in Lusaka.

Her HIV test results had come as a big shock and major set-back to the 30 year-old woman who had spent most of her time the previous 12 months planning to enroll into the university.

But with the positive results, Ms Mwale could hardly think anything progressive.

She hated herself and regretted her action of seeking the test even when she was sure that she had not done anything that could result insuch results.

Amazingly, discrimination, self-stigma as well as remorse grappled her and the only consolation she had was to ensure that she consumed whatever amount she had raised for school.

Fortunately, it came as a relief when the young lady was introduced to counsellors who had a tough time to educate and convince her that her HIV status was far from being the end for her or that of her plans.

Ms Mwale’s predicament mirrors the many situations that many people in Zambia have been exposed to after discovering their HIV positive status.

Many people have had unreasonable conclusions and assumptions that have failed to add any value to their lives but to reduce the confidence of positive living and inculcate a sense of fear and self discrimination in them.

While being HIV positive is no longer a source of fear that calls for discrimination, agony has continued to be associated with the status as one imagines what lies ahead after being tested positive.

Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC) Lusaka provincial coordinator Harrison Mwima said positive living for him meant him living with hope and determination which delays the onset of AIDs and being able to live a healthy long life.

Mr Mwima said it was not easy at first to know that he was HIV positive but he begun to believe he had reason to live and nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling his long felt desires.

He said TALC is advocating equitable access to comprehensive and complete continuum of treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS and those affected.

“Most people are not free to reveal their status because they judge themselves even before the community can actually judge them,” he said.

Stigma is a powerful obstacle to adherence because people who are unable to be open about their status have particular difficult in taking their drugs regularly because of the need for secrecy.

Thus it is important for a patient to have the support of family members and even friends and work colleagues.

Once this is achieved people will be encouraged and assisted by individuals to be open about their status as the very important part of treatment.

Many people living with HIV are making it difficult by not disclosing their status to people close to them but as the common saying goes, “a problem shared is a problem solved.”

Some benefits of sharing one’s status makes it easier for one to receive support from family and friends because they are aware of the situation.

“Knowing your status helps you manage opportunistic infections which take advantage of the body’s weak immune system such as tuberculosis (TB), malaria, anaemia, skin diseases, etc,”Mr Mwima said.

It is easier for one to access information especially when one is a member of a support group where a group of people living with HIV/AIDS come together to learn and discuss ways which will help to live positively.

Support groups would create a platform for people to share their feelings about living with HIV which will encourage them to remain strong and begin to feel good and positive about themselves.

Mr Mwima when he joined the support group it helped him in thinking positively and knowing that he still had rights as a person living with HIV and made him understand that he is not alone.

Once one is aware of their status it is important that if he or she has a spouse, the couple practices safe sex to avoid reinfecting each other.

If one is infected with a different type of virus, it may attack your partner’s immune system at a faster rate making them develop opportunistic illnesses quickly.

This means it is important to have safe sex to avoid reinfecting each other so that you can stay healthier for a longer time.

And through the organisation’s objectives TALC has a vision to have a healthy Zambian society which will be free of HIV and AIDS through making information available to the community.

The organisation has already created their presence in the seven provinces through full time provincial hubs.

Each hub in the provinces is to empower the people in a particular province in treatment literacy and advocacy skills and to compliment Government’s efforts in treatment information dissemination.

Eviny Mwale, a nurse fromKanyama Clinic said it is possible for one to be HIV positive and still do chores that they used to do before they were tested positive.

Ms Mwale said it is important that when one finds out he or she is HIV

positive they should live a positive life, in the way they carry themselves and accepting their status.

She said one of the ways is to ensure you practice safe sex because HIV is like an enemy attacking your body and the body is protected by the immune system which is regarded as the CD4 cells.

This means that when you have unprotected sex and for instance both you and your partner are positive, it is likely that your partner might have a different type or strain of HIV, meaning that your body is being attacked by a second enemy.

Therefore, the HIV virus will attack and destroy your CD4cells which defend your immune system more quickly.

She advised that if someone has a sexually transmitted Disease (STI) he or she should immediately seek medical attention because an infection can make your immune system weaker. In fact, it is better for someone living with HIV to avoid contracting STIs.

The other aspect that is vital is adhering to treatment which helps in reducing the viral load to undetectable levels and slows the development of AIDS.

At times people might think that anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs cure HIV which is a misconception because ARVs only help reduce the levels of HIV in the body to assist one to live longer.

“For the drugs to work, one should take them at the same times, in the right amount every day for the rest of one’s life,” she said.

Drug adherence is important because it determines the success of the treatment and once one does not adhere to the treatment they are bound to become drug resistant.

This is caused by stopping and restarting or missing the drugs which stops the ARVs from working well and then develop drug resistance.

Having knowledge of the side effects of the drugs that one is taking is important so that one is able to deal with them by informing the care provider.

The food a person living with HIV takes is important for keeping one’s immune system strong and building it up when it is low.

A balanced diet means eating lots of different types of foods which have nutrients though not everyone can afford to have a nutritious diet.

“A nutritious diet will strengthen your body, prevent you from losing weight, fights infections and builds energy to get through the day,” Ms Mwale said.

To make a better Zambia, we should stand together to fight against stigma and discrimination and encourage ourselves as a nation to live positively because we are each other’s keeper.

AllAfrica – All the Time