OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE Out Magazine ISSUU 33 | Page 37

get your CD4 and viral load tested every six months to monitor
your progress and to change your meds if necessary. This will
ensure you a long and happy life.
WHEN WILL I START GETTING SICK?
As long as you are on ARV’s and see your doctor on a regular
basis, your CD4 should rise and your viral load should decrease.
Doing your blood tests every six months will also give your
doctor an indication of what the status of your health is and he/
she will be able to adjust your medication accordingly. Keeping
fit is very important and cutting out any bad health-related
habits is also extremely important. Make sure your diet is
sufficient and that you take very good care of yourself. If you do
this, you will stay healthy for a very long time. A great number
of people living with HIV never get sick. They live normal
healthy lives and eventually they pass on just like anyone not
infected by the virus.
WHAT WILL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THINK AND
SHOULD I TELL THEM?
Firstly, and I think most important of all is that you never
have to disclose your status to anyone. The South African
Constitution has a Bill of Rights that protects all people. The
rights to life, dignity, privacy, freedom and others.
*“When it comes to healthcare, food, water and social security
rights, in section 27, it says: Everyone has the right to have
access to:
• healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare;
• sufficient food and water; and
• social security, including, if they are unable to support
themselves and their dependents, appropriate social
assistance.
• the state must take reasonable legislative and other
measures, within its available sources, to achieve the
progressive realisation of each of these rights.
• no one may be refused emergency medical treatment.
The Constitution of South Africa protects the rights of people
living with HIV. It doesn’t allow discrimination and protects
people’s right to privacy and confidentiality. In South Africa,
there aren’t any laws that force people to tell others about their
HIV status. People who do test positive should tell their partner,
so that they can be protected and also have an HIV test. People
with HIV or AIDS in South Africa are protected by the Bill of
Rights and have the same rights which protect all citizens.
• There can be no discrimination against anyone who
has HIV or AIDS
• They have the right to medical treatment and care from
the health and welfare services
• Children with HIV are allowed to attend any school
• No one can be fired from a job just because they are
HIV-positive
• No one c an be forced to have an HIV test before getting
a job or while at work
• Test results cannot be shown to anyone else without
the permission of the person who had the test
• Pregnant women with HIV have the right to make a
choice about their pregnancy”
The decision to tell your friends or family is entirely yours and
you can do it once you feel comfortable, safe and confident that
it is what you want to do. As far as disclosing your status to
your employer, you are under no obligation to do so, unless the
nature of your work requires you to do it.
The just of it all my friends is very simple. Your diagnosis is
as real as life itself. It is not something that will change or go
away, unless a much anticipated cure is found. Accepting it and
choosing to live a happy and long life is completely up to you.
You can and will have the same life you had before you were
diagnosed. The only thing that has changed is a small little
virus that now occupies your body. Taking care of your health
is important for every single person whether they are positive
or not, but it has now become imperative for you do make sure
your do just that. Live life, continue to dream big and never give
up on yourself. You are precious and the same world is still out
there waiting to see you soar!
* For more information please visit: https://www.aids.gov
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