The couple were speaking at the commemoration of World AIDS Day held at the Gaborone Senior Secondary School grounds on Saturday. "We are both HIV positive and coming here to address you is not meant to boast or be arrogant. It is only that we are not hiding our status and we have educated ourselves to live positively with the virus," Edwin said. Their three-year-old daughter is HIV negative, which they attribute to the PMTCT the mother undertook. "We just want to inform those infected that if they adhere to their medication, they will lead a normal life. We are bringing the message of hope because we know it is very difficult to live with the virus but ignorance is the worst thing for all infected," Motse said. When they met, they did not know that they were both living with the virus. Maria, a volunteer and PMTCT advocate, explained that she was the first to disclose her status to the man who had proposed her.
"I saw no point in hiding something that I had disclosed to my relatives and family. In my experience, I have learnt that living without knowing your status is dangerous," she said with a smile. She explained that not knowing your status can allow opportunistic infections to attack the CD 4 count, thereby increasing the viral load leading to full blown AIDS.
Relating her story to Monitor, Maria stated that she went for HIV test when she was already sick as her body was swollen and her jaws becoming paralysed. As a result, she could not eat as her eosophagus was affected. "I took the decision there and then that I must go for the test. I conditioned myself in such a way that I was ready to accept the outcome," Maria said.
"If you test and know your status you would be in a better position to know exactly what you are dealing with rather than assuming," she added. That same year she had enrolled to re-sit her Cambridge examinations at the Capital Continuation Classes, as she had not done well while at Ledumang Senior Secondary School. She was quick to admit that other students there did not taunt her despite the fact that she had gone public about her status. "Maybe it was respect that they had for me because they even elected me their head girl," Maria added with a smile.
That was in 2001. The couple got married in 2002 and were blessed with a baby girl the following year. Throughout the pregnancy, Maria took AZT 4 to prevent her baby from getting infected. The baby was tested for the virus when she was four and six months respectively and both results were negative. Both parents indicated that they take precautions to make sure they did not infect the baby with their contaminated blood. "If we have open wounds we make sure that they are always covered and we have taught her not to touch anybody's blood," Maria explains.
The couple, who reside in Molepolole, have been busy educating the public in the village about the disease. They have formed a support group called Maravi, which has already attracted 40 members comprising both the affected and infected. "Our mission is to make everyone to be healthy and accountable. Gone are the days when a person infected has to blame someone for passing the virus to them. It is your body and you are the only one who can account for whatever happens to it," Maria states.
"Why can't we strive for zero transmission of the virus? Those who are not infected should work hard to stay that way while the infected should be stingy with the virus and not transmit it," Motse advised.
