HIV and me: 'I decided to fight: I always wanted the body of a wrestler'
What’s it like to live with HIV in different parts of the world? Here, as part of a 10-year project covering eight countries, seven people share a self-portrait and tell their stories. The collaborative photo-storytelling project Through Positive Eyes chronicles a very particular moment in the global Aids epidemic, when effective treatment is available to some but not all, and when the enduring stigma associated with HIV and Aids has become entrenched – a major roadblock to both prevention and treatment. Over 10 years, more than 130 HIV-positive people across five continents have taken part, many of whom picked up cameras for the first time in their lives. Here they tell their stories, in words and in photographs.
‘My years with HIV have taught me to be more humble’
Aoy: ‘I was shocked and worried that people would judge me.’ Photograph: Aoy, courtesy of the UCLA Art & Global Health Centre, with thanks to unaids.org
Alejandro, Mexico City, MexicoI have been living with HIV for 15 years. The afternoon I got the news, I was in shock. I left the doctor’s office and wandered aimlessly in the streets, all night long. When I finally came to my senses, it was dawn.
I decided to fight to remain in the best physical, emotional and psychological condition I could, during the time I had left. I promised myself that the virus would never defeat me. I decided to be tough.
It doesn’t matter if the virus came in to my life, or if I went looking for it. I am an electrician, and I live like anybody else. I love to exercise, not only because it is good for me, but also because I always wanted to have the body of a wrestler.
The years I have spent living with HIV have taught me to be more humble, respectful and humane. My greatest satisfaction now is to help other people get medical care. We who live with HIV do not ask for special privileges, only that our rights be respected.
‘The medication has changed my body: I look like a monster’
Aoy, Bangkok, ThailandI became infected with HIV 10 years ago, when I was 30, from sex with my boyfriend. I was shocked and worried that people would judge me. But then I met a group of new friends living with HIV. I realised people with HIV can live for many years. And I thought, “Why can’t I stay alive, too?”
I take my medicine and care for myself, both body and soul. That’s why I’m still here. I wish there were a cure, so that I didn’t have to take my medication. Each medicine has a different side-effect. My body has changed. I do exercises to help get a better shape, to help reduce my lipodystrophy: body bulge is a common side-effect. I feel I look like a monster. I have a hump on my back, and a distended tummy.
If we don’t want people to stamp HIV on our foreheads, then we have to take better care of our appearance. Even though I’m HIV positive, it doesn’t mean I don’t care about my personal beauty. I don’t want society to see HIV as something pathetic. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me."— Nov. 9, 2019
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the The Guardian website.
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