Being an HIV-positive mother was hard then, and it is hard now. However, I gained a lot of strength from my family, my community, the health clinic, and other HIV-positive women I met in a support group called “Waitinya.” In my community’s language of Luyhia, waitinya is a word that means “being hopeful.”
I needed to be hopeful for my children, my husband, and my unborn baby. Today, I am still hopeful, and grateful too.
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My name is Christopher. My wife Everlyne and I are HIV-positive, but our two sons – three-year-old Norus Ombama and nine-month-old Budy Busaia -- are strong, healthy, and HIV-negative. In 2006, while I was still working at Kenya Railways, I had been very sick, so I decided to get tested for HIV. When the tests came back positive, I was afraid to disclose my status to anyone.
I battled with the sad news for one week before I told my wife. After being tested, she found out that she, too, was HIV-positive. We started going to counseling and were started on antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately.
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Florentine is a young woman living and working in Bamenda, Cameroon. When she was 19 years old, Florentine received two pieces of good news during a visit to her physician: she was pregnant and HIV-negative. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the truth. Not only did she later find out that she was HIV-positive, but when her father-in-law discovered her status, he asked Florentine to leave his home.
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My name is Joharia. I am 28 years old, and I was born in Ngara district, Kagera region, Tanzania.
In 2005, I fell in love with a man. Together, we conceived, and I gave birth to a baby boy I named Mecki. He was a married man, but he didn’t disclose his marital status to me.
When Mecki was seven months old, my aunt who lives in Arusha region asked my parents if I could live with her. My parents agreed, and in August 2006, I moved to Arusha together with my son.
Soon after my arrival, I suffered severe stomach pains and was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. I visited the hospital several times, but the infection would not go away. I decided to get tested for HIV.
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My name is Caroline, and I am 46 years old. I live in the Tabora region of Tanzania, where I run a food catering business.
I was married in 1985, and my husband and I were blessed with two children. My firstborn, Maria, was born in 1986, but she died of malaria in 2009. My second child, Astrid, is now 21 years old and works in South Africa.
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My name is Amos. I am 49 years old and I live in the Tabora region of Tanzania. My wife Janeth is 38 years old. Together, we are blessed with five children: Bahati (21), Alex (19), Martin (15), Helena (13), and Yohana (4).
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My name is Domingos, and I have been married to my wife Clara for 15 years. We have four beautiful children - two boys and two girls. My wife first discovered she was living with HIV while she was pregnant with our youngest child. The nurse at the clinic counseled Clara about HIV, and recommended that she be tested. When Clara received the test results indicating she was HIV-positive, she immediately began antiretroviral therapy - for her health and the chance for our child to be born free of HIV.
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When I was pregnant with my son Josphat in 2003, I took an HIV test during an antenatal clinic visit, and I found out I was HIV-positive. I immediately enrolled in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV program, where I began learning about HIV and how best to look after myself and my unborn child.
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My name is Jane. I am a hairdresser who lives in Ibanda district, southwestern Uganda. My husband is a motorcycle taxi driver. We have been together for seven years. We have a five-year-old son named Daniel and a six-week-old daughter we call Princess.
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My name is Ruth. I am 39 years old and am the mother of eight children. I am a member of the Family Support Group supported by the STAR-SW project at Ibanda Hospital in south-western Uganda.
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