I met a lady who told me that she tested HIV positive 2 years ago and she was very bitter about the results. She told me that knowing that she was positive she decided that she will not die alone, so she started having more partners and she had unprotected sex with them and she thought by doing this she was doing something good to herself and even to those she was involved with. She told me that she didn’t even bother herself to go for CD4 count checking or being screened for TB. She said she continued with that for a period of one year.

When I first entered her household and told her why I came to her house she told me that she knows everything about HIV/AIDS and told me to go next door instead of bothering her with what she knows. She left me there and got in to the house. I went away and came back after a week.

Two weeks later she called me while I was passing by her yard. I went to her, sat down and started to talk to her about HIV/AIDS, basic facts and the importance of knowing one’s status. She asked me what one must do when she is HIV positive and how this person can live a better life. I told her what a person who is HIV positive must do.
I told her that I will make an appointment with the nurse for her and she agreed. The following day we went to see the nurse and she took blood for CD4 count and it was 150. The lady was enrolled for ARV’s. I continued to give her supportive counselling twice a week. She ended up disclosing her status to her family members.