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The self-stigma of being young, HIV+ and gay

Friday, April 12, 2024 | 780 Views |

Sharing experiences: Sekisang PIC: FACEBOOK

Stigma against People Living With HIV has been understood to mean discrimination and unfair treatment from other people against the infected. Twenty-year-old HIV activist, Pontsho Sekisang, shares her journey of self-stigma after testing HIV positive. NNASARETHA KGAMANYANE writes

From when she was born in 1997, Sekisang believes she was gay. Although she was born male, she felt more of a girl than a boy, which made her believe she was born special.

Speaking this week at the launch of a study into the stigma faced by People Living With HIV (PLWHIV), Sekisang explained that when she was in Standard Two, she felt different and had a crush on another boy.

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