Rigorous HIV/Aids campaign a necessity
In an interview with her in her Vosloorus home, Sekete said she became an HIV/Aids activist because she wanted to be of help to others living with the virus.
Phindile Sekete, a 31-year-old mother of an eight-year-old, said she has been living with HIV virus for more than eight years.
In an interview with her in her Vosloorus home, Sekete said she became an HIV/Aids activist because she wanted to be of help to others living with the virus.
“I have lived with this virus for more than eight years now. I’ve seen and learnt that as years go by, some people get used to the virus and feel free to talk about their condition, which is a good thing,” said Sekete.
“When I first discovered I was living with the virus this shocked me because I was still young. I didn’t know how to deal with the news but had a choice of whether I wanted to live long or to die at an early age. Fortunately, I had a support system – my mother, my sisters and my friends.”
She said she decided to speak openly about her condition.
“This is not because I sought attention but because I wanted to use my voice for my own benefit as it provided me with healing I was looking for, and to also learn to accept the reality that I was living with the virus,” Sekete said.
She said once she began to speak openly about her condition, she attracted people who also were living with the virus, and this helped them to accept and love themselves.
She gives advice to people who believe if you live with the virus you will give birth to HIV positive baby.
“No, it is not like that. All you need to do is to follow the correct procedure that is followed by all pregnant people – which is to go to the clinic every month. Your healthcare workers will conduct HIV tests and as soon as they find out you are infected, they will give you medication that will stop the transference of the virus to your unborn baby.
“So HIV is a sickness just like all other sicknesses. It is not a death sentence. Once you accept that you are infected, make sure you take care of yourself – eat healthily and protect yourself from getting re-infected then you will live longer.
“As for people who still discriminate against people living with the virus, I think our government should continue with campaigns to provide information about the HIV/Aids to everyone, even those who are not infected,” said Sekete.
