Mmegi

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

Sharing experiences: Sekisang PIC: FACEBOOK
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.

Editor's Comment
A promising step for public schools, but...

For too long, the state of many public schools has been a source of shame. We have all seen the pictures and heard the stories of broken windows, unreliable water and electricity, topped by classrooms that are not fit for proper learning. The establishment of the Education Infrastructure and Management Company Ltd (EIMC) signals that authorities are finally ready to take this problem seriously. We must commend the government for this initiative....

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