In less than two months Zambia will host the ARSH 2014 Adolescents symposium with the theme ‘A Time to Act’. The coming of this event got me thinking about a story I was documenting concerning an HIV positive youth. The youth was born HIV positive and hence had to live with the stigma associated with the virus. As far as most people would be concerned she was probably sleeping around; this is the stereotype that surrounds people who have contracted the virus.
The plight of HIV positive youth needs to be heard. When a child is born with the virus or contracts it their lives thereafter become a challenge. The story I worked on made me realize how HIV positive adolescents can live imprisoned by the stigma associated with the virus, without the freedom to be live a whole life just like any other young person and not be defined by their medical status. The fear of not being accepted and loved is real for anyone facing this disease, and even more so within the youth community. The UNAIDS 2011-2015 strategy Report ‘Getting To Zero’ highlights three things to strive for, especially within the youth community:
- Getting to Zero New infections
- Getting to Zero AIDS related deaths
- Getting to Zero Discrimination
Helping young people know their status, accept it and receive all the care and support from youth friendly services which will not judge them, in combination with Government support in line of the ‘Getting To Zero’ strategic plan is the direction we ought to take. We need to open dialogue about the issues society does not want to talk about if we plan to actually reduce the incidence of HIV/AID in our communities. We need to bring these issues to light so that our young brothers and sisters find the freedom they deserve, and have vibrant lives. HIV should not force someone into a life defined by solitude and fear.
With 2015 around the corner, what will we have to say concerning the adolescent plight in the fight against HIV /AIDS? That’s a question that only time will answer. My hope is their freedom will be fought for and that we are only day able to hit the 2015 target. Now is the time to act as a collective voice to end the injustices facing our HIV infected youth. Let’s stand together and ACT.