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
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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