HIV/AIDS stigma still high in Dikgonnye
Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday May 27, 2015 16:08
Speaking at the annual candlelight commemoration to remember those who died from HIV/AIDS, Kgosi Rakgati said stigmatisation had become a big problem in his area and needed to be addressed. “Education on the disease has been extensive in the past years, but I still fail to understand why people are still struggling to accept each other and to fight and win the war on HIV/AIDS,” he said. He explained that stigmatisation was even affecting relationships. “We deal a lot with cases of couples that fight, accusing each other of bringing HIV to the relationship. Little do such people realise they are self-stigmatising. Self-stigmatisation is a problem and we should all fight it,” he said.
Meanwhile three residents living with HIV urged the residents to test and know their status well in time so they can take better care of themselves. Bopa Rankopong who has been living with HIV since 2006 said all that a doubting Thomas needed to do was look at her and see what good testing and knowing her status had done for her.
“We are the beacon of hope and it is our responsibility to be an example to those who are still reluctant to test. We want people to know there is really nothing to be afraid of,” she said.
Sedumedi Tsele, who has been living with the virus for seven years, encouraged men to take the initiative to test. He said as a man he had been encouraging other men to test and protect their loved ones.
Maurine Kgwefana who said she had been living with the disease for 12 years led the candlelight, which marked the end of the commemoration. She explained she had a CD4 count of 15 when she was diagnosed with HIV, and now with treatment she was proud to be alive and a testimony to the rest of the nation. Kgwefana encouraged those that had the courage to test to disclose their status to their loved ones to make the transition easy as they could give one another moral support.