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Beat It! 2002 Episode 5

In this episode the Beat It! Team looks at disclosing to the family, domestic violence and its implications for HIV prevention and at Cabinet’s decision to rollout post exposure prophylaxis for rape survivors.

Vuyani Jacobs: Molweni {IsiXhosa} [Hello]. Welcome to Beat It! your guide to better living with HIV and AIDS. I’m Vuyani Jacobs.

Nombeko Mpongo: And I’m Nombeko Mpongo. Beat It! brings reliable information for all people living with HIV and AIDS.

Vuyani Jacobs: And our partners, families, colleagues and health workers. So Nombeko, what’s coming up in the show this week?

Nombeko Mpongo: On April 17 this year our government changed its position on HIV and AIDS. Government said that all rape survivors have the right to antiretroviral treatment to prevent them from becoming HIV positive and that’s the subject of this week’s Special Report.

Vuyani Jacobs: But first let us go and join the Support Group where we are sharing experiences of disclosing your HIV status to your family and the difference that can make to better living with HIV.

Sandra Merino - Disclosing to one's family
Mitchells Plein, Cape Town

Sandra Merino: Wat ek uitgevind het na my kind se geboorte was dit baie ‘difficult’ vir my gewees om vir my mammie te gesê het dat ek ‘HIV positive’ was en dat sy die enigste een wat saam met my was deur my ‘pregnancy’ en toe ek geboorte gee was sy daar gewees. En die ‘next’ dag het ek skielik siek geraak en die dokters het nie geweet wat aan gaan nie; toe’t hulle my gevra of hulle die ‘HIV’ toets kan doen; en ek het gesê: “Ja.” Toe die ‘results’ terug gekom het het die dokter en die ‘counsellor’ gekom na my toe en vir my gesê dat ek ‘HIV positive’ is en vir my gevra of ek vir my mammie gaan sê of moet die ‘counsellor’ self vir my mammie sê. Ek het ’n bietjie stil gebly want dit was ‘difficult’ gewees vir my want dis die eerste keer wat ek persoonlik hoor dat ek ‘HIV positive’; ek het mense gehoor wat ‘HIV positive’ maar ek het nie verstaan wat regtig ‘HIV’ is nie. En toe die ‘next’ dag toe my mammie kom toe laat roep ek die counsellor om vir my mammie te kom sê dat ek HIV positive is. {Afrikaans} [When I discovered, after my child’s birth, that I’m HIV positive, it was very difficult to tell my mother, seeing that she was the only one with me during my pregnancy and when I gave birth she was there too. The next day I suddenly got sick and the doctors didn’t know what was happening. They asked my permission to do an HIV test and I said: “Yes.” When the results came back the doctor and the counsellor came to tell me I’m HIV positive. They asked if I was going to tell my mother, or whether the counsellor should do it. I kept quiet for a while because it was difficult for me because it was the first time I heard of my HIV status. I’d heard of other people being HIV positive, but I didn’t really understand what HIV really is. When my mother returned the next day, I called the counsellor to tell my mother that I’m HIV positive.]

Sandra’s mother: First time when I found out was when the doctor came to me and she told me about it. So I was very shocked before, but what can I do. She was lying in bed swollen up all over and I was sitting next to her, so, they asked me what I am going to do, if I’m going to send her away? So I said: “Why can I send her away? I can’t send her away. She is my daughter, she’s my eldest daughter. She’s got a problem I must support her with whatever is going on and I’m still doing it.”

Sandra Merino: Na ek uitgevind het, het ek baie siek geraak; ek het al die infeksies gehet deur ‘HIV/AIDS’ was dit ook ‘difficult’ vir haar om my te sien; hoe siek ek gewees het en dit het vir haar baie bang gemaak. Kyk as die mense hoor jy is ‘HIV positive’ dink julle jy gaan doed. {Afrikaans} [After I found out, I started getting sick a lot. I got a lot of infections because of the HIV. It was difficult for my mother to see me that sick. It frightened her. When people hear you’ve got HIV they think you are going to die.

Beat It! Support Group

Busisiwe Maqungo: Disclosure especially to the family it was a bit of a problem to me. Before I did it because it was, like, those people who are not my blood parents or blood relatives. So, I thought it’s going to be something difficult and I told her over the phone that I’ve been found positive, HIV positive. But, shame, the support she gave me; it was unbelievable because she invited me to come to the Transkei and I told her no I am not coming and I explained to her why and she said, started to say: “Okay I heard there’s someone whose curing this and I can take you to him.” Then I told her: “No, it’s not curable; it’s just treated” and she even put me to the burial society. It’s like she wanted me to feel comfortable that even if I can die at least she is going to do something, she is going to give me a proper burial, ja. I felt, I’m not going to lie, I felt so comfortable. I, it just showed me that she cared.

Anthony Fernandes: I had this immediate urge that I really wanted to tell everybody when I found out that I’m HIV positive. It was like, shooo, I can’t believe it really happened to me and now I just had to get it really out. And I invited my family over for a weekend, not letting anything on, as cool as a cucumber, sat them down said: “Oh, there is something I have to tell you, by the way, I’m HIV positive.” I literally said it in one breath and they looked dazed and confused and they said: “What does that mean?” And I said: “Well, it doesn’t mean you get AIDS it just means that, you know, I’ve got the virus; it might lead to AIDS.” My mother burst into tears and said: “What did I do wrong?” And I said: “No, it wasn’t you. This is my own doing.” Up till now, all this time, they’ve been wonderful, they’ve been supportive, they actually went out and tried to find out: what is HIV? What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

Vuyani Jacobs: Didn’t you feel to much intruded?

Anthony Fernandes: I don’t think they were like choking me really or overpowered. They new were to kind of give me space.

Bongiwe Mkhutyukelwa: Okokhuqala bendingahlali apha eCape Town, ndandisuka eDurban. Ndabaleka ekhaya ukuba ndandi pregnante. So ndaxonda sozendifeyise umamami ndipregnate, ndaqonda ukuba andibaleke ndize apha eCape Town. So apha eCape Town ndafika ndadiscover ukuba ndiHIV positive. So I was even worse ukuba pregnante ukudiscovarisha ukuba ndiHIV positive. And ndangayazi ukuba ndizabaxelela njani abazali bami because bebangeko apha bebale kunde. And then ndaxalisa ukudisclosa 2000, phaya ku2000 but bendinga disclozi, ndaqala ndadiscloza kwi support group yam, from isupport group yam ndahamba ndayo discloza izikolweni kanjalo nje. But ndi end aphe sendidiscloza nationally or internationally. Ndisolokho ndi fila guilty ndabuya apha eCape Town okondi guilty why umama ndingamxelelanga. Ndaphinde nda planner ngonyaka ka 2001ukuba nakanjani ndizame ukhungonduka ndihambe ndiyomxelela because bendinga nwabanga as umntu bekadiscloza everywhere but umamami ukungoyenayena mntu aziqala andizange ndimxelele and kwakhulula kum ukudiscloza kwabanye abantu endingabazi. I know ukuba abandazi moos abozahamba bathetha ngalento, abandazi moss. So Kwaku very easy. So ngo year 2001 ndangoduka ndodesemba. Ndafika umamami she was very sick, ungumtu one diabetes. Ndamxelela ukuba nami ngo 1999 eCape Town Kwathiwa ndiHIV positive.She was very shocked but at the sametime wandinika isupport. Wathi mtanam unga give aphi because like iHIV/AIDS is like idiabetes endinayo, suyithatha serious ithathe njengesinye isifo esifana nazinye but try by all means to take care of yourself.{IsiXhosa} [Initially I didn’t live in Cape Town, I was from Durban. I ran away from home because I was pregnant. So I couldn’t face my mother with my pregnancy, and decided to run away to Cape Town. Here in Cape Town I discovered that I’m HIV positive. It was even worse than my pregnancy to discover that I’m HIV positive and I didn’t know how to tell my parents because they weren’t here, they were far away. I started disclosing in 2000. I first disclosed to my support group, then I disclosed to schools. I ended up disclosing nationally or internationally. I always feel guilty here in Cape Town: why didn’t I tell my mother? In 2001 I planned that, no matter what I must go tell my mother because I wasn’t happy as a person who disclosed to other people; my mother should have come first. It was easy for me to disclose to people I didn’t know because they didn’t know me and they wouldn’t talk about me. So in December 2001 I went home. When I got there, my mother was very sick with diabetes. I told her that I too was told in 1999 in Cape Town that I’m HIV positive. She was very shocked but at the same time she gave me support. She said: “My child, don’t give up because HIV/AIDS is like the diabetes I have.” “Don’t take it seriously, take it like any other disease but try by all means to take care of yourself.]

Nomandla Yako: I just want to know if Bongiwe disclosed to all of the family as she disclosed to her mother. Just want to know if she disclosed to the family here in Khayelitsha or her sisters who are staying at Durban?

Bongiwe Mkhutyukelwa: I did tell my sister but only at the beginning of this year and I tried to disclose to my brother and sisters in Durban; they didn’t want to believe me. So I tried by all means but they didn’t believe me. I don’t know what I can do now because I want them to know that I am really HIV positive.

Nomandla Yako: Do you know why your sisters and your brothers didn’t believe you that you are HIV positive?

Bongiwe Mkhutyukelwa: I think maybe the reason is because I still look very healthy and I’m speaking openly about my status. Most of the people don’t want to be open about their status, so, they couldn’t believe why, why am I so strong that I can even say I’m HIV positive because most people die with the HIV or AIDS without telling anyone.

Anthony Fernandes: How do you feel if your family doesn’t believe you? I mean how do you cope with that isolation? I mean I would feel extremely lonely if I have to be in your shoes at least.

Bongiwe Mkhutyukelwa: In fact I don’t feel very lonely because my mother is supporting me and I’m trying by all means to let them know that that was real; that I am HIV positive is real.

Vuyani Jacobs: I never told my mother I’m HIV positive, because she was to sick and, you know, when, during her funeral the only thing I remember is, you know she could have been my most, most greatest supporter ever. I mean, but when I became HIV positive she was already quiet very sick and I couldn’t actually tell her; come up with a situation to tell her that I have this kind of problem and I’m sure she died still having the question: “What’s happening in Vuyani’s life?” But I didn’t want to burden her with it. And to me, it always have that, I am not feeling guilty because now I feel better that, okay she died peacefully. I think, I made a mistake because I think it’s what we as people with HIV always do, that we like to shut away ourselves from people who love us.

Corné Fourie: My pa is maar ’n vreeslike konservatiewe boere oompie en hy sal mens dalk net met ’n piksteel kan bykom as hy die kans kry. So ’n, dit was my grootste problem; was my pa. maar toe ek nou daar bo kom en die familie nou almal daar by mekaar is toe vertel ek hulle nou. Toe is dit nou op my een broer, net ‘n bietjie olie op sy vuur en hy sê toe nog net so: “Ja, dis genoeg dat jy ‘n ‘damn’ moffie is jy moenie nou nog jou AIDS ook in ons huis inbring nie. So jy is nie welkom in ons huis nie.” Dit het my ‘n bietjie sier gemaak maar ek het agterna, toe gaan ek terug na my pa toe, toe sê ek vir my pa: “Kyk hier, los hom. Hy sal, ‘eventually’ sal hy daaroor kom. Los hom.” {Afrikaans} [My father is quite conservative, who’ll come at you with a club if he gets a chance. So that was my biggest problem; my father. But when I got there, with all of the family together, I told them. But that was oil on the fire for my one brother and he said: “It’s enough that you are a damn fag, don’t bring your AIDS into our house too.” “You are not welcome in our home.” That hurt me a little bit. Afterwards I went to my dad and told him: “Leave him alone.” “He will get over it eventually.”]

Mathew Damane: Wat het hy gemaak laat hy kan so by jy … so ‘negative attitude’ teenaan jou, sien jy? {Afrikaans} [What did you do to provoke such a negative attitude?]

Corné Fourie: Jy weet die boere hulle van die ou tyd hulle was mos: “Doen jou ding en klaar.” Hulle is nie nou nog daar om te hankie pankie en jou hand vas te hou en te sê: “Kom, kom ons loop die padtjie saam nie”, nee. {Afrikaans} [You know that old boere attitude: “Do your thing and that’s it.” They don’t believe in holding your hand and pampering you … no.]

Faghmeda Miller: Ja vir my was dit eintlik baie moelik om vir my ouers te sê dat ek is ‘HIV positive’. En, ja, na ’n hele paar maande het ek nou die moed bymekaar geskraap en vir my ouers gesê. Ek het geweet hulle sal baie ‘supportive’ wees maar nog altyd dit was nou AIDS, dit was nou in die Muslim gemeenskap. Dit was nou nie iets soos cancer of daai nie. En ek het eintlik my sister ‘admire’ vir wat sy gedoen het; sy het dan toe besluit dat almal moet gaan vir ‘counselling’, vir beraading. En ek dink van daardie punt af was dit vir hulle makliker om vir my te aanvaar, my siekte te annvaar wat ek het. {Afrikaans} [It was very difficult to tell my parents that I’m HIV positive. After a good few months I mustered up the courage and told my parents. I knew they would be very supportive but this was AIDS in the Muslim community. It wasn’t something like cancer. I admired my sister for what she did: she decided that all of us should go for counselling. From that point on it became easier for them to accept my disease.]

Anthony Fernandes: How was that like in a family, kind of, situation? Did they react weird or funny around you?

Faghmeda Miller: Before I disclosed my HIV status, you know the families were making a lot of jokes about, you know, about HIV and AIDS and about the moffies and all that. And I remember one time I was sitting next to one of my cousins at a family gathering and we were having, like, supper. She said to me, like: “Pass me a slice of bread and take your hand don’t worry about the plate” and she said it, like, in one breath, um, “unless you have AIDS.” And to me it was, like, you know I’ve lost my appetite and I looked across at my mom and I knew that my mom never told anyone. Okay, after I disclosed my HIV status to the community I still went around looking for a support group, I couldn’t find any. I then decide to form my own support group called Positive Muslims and, um, today I must say it’s going strong and like, once again, they do come to the group but they are not open about there status, but I can identify with that, I don’t blame them for not coming out, because I myself, I’m still going through a tough time, you know being HIV positive in the Muslim community.

Vuyani Jacobs: When I had to tell my most idol, my cousin/brother who had this kind of, you know I always looked up at him. We used to discuss things, he’s been one of the actual persons I told. “Boetie, you know, I think ndine I have HIV and ilohlobo nohlobo {IsiXhosa} [it’s like this and like that] and he said to me: “Oh, Vuyani, it’s quite unfortunate.” You know this guy I used to see him have condoms in his room and in my whole life I never used condoms and I was looking back and see: If we did openly discuss these things before then I couldn’t have been HIV positive, you know what I mean?

Sandra Merino: Dis ’n goeie relief, dis ’n relief wat af van jou afkom as jy vir iemand gaan sê jy is HIV positive, as om dit in te gehou dan kan jy nie uitkom om al die inligting te kry oor HIV/AIDS. En dit maak jou ook gesond dat jy weet waar jy staan. {Afrikaans} [It’s a good feeling of relief that comes over you when you tell someone that you’re HIV positive. As opposed to keeping it in and then you can’t get all the information about HIV and AIDS. It also make you healthier because you know where you stand.]

Corné Fourie: Ek het amper vier jaar gewag voor ek my family gesê het. En ja, ek is eintlik spyt dat ek dit nie vroeër gedoen het nie. Maar dit is maar nou een van daai dinge van die omstandighede wat in my lewe plaas gevind het en ek is net bly dit is agter die rug en ek kan nou met ’n oop gemoed kan ek die wêreld in gaan en vir die wêreld gaan sê: “Kyk hierso; dit is ek. Julle aanvaar my soos ek is of julle los my. My familie aanvaar my so wie is julle om my te verwerp?” {Afrikaans} [I waited nearly four years before telling my family. I actually regret not doing it sooner. It’s just one of those things, due to circumstances in my life. I’m just glad it’s behind me now. Now I can go into the world with peace of mind and say to the world: “This is me. Accept me as I am or leave me alone. My family accepts me, so who are you to reject me?”]

Nombeko Mpongo: You back with Beat It!

Vuyani Jacobs: The biggest problem in promoting safer sex is that many men abuse women when the issue of condoms is raised.

Nombeko Mpongo: Amathuba amanitsi ngogqirha abandibana nalenkathazo. {IsiXhosa} [Often doctors don’t deal with all of a patient’s problems.] Today Dr Nombulelo shares some of her experiences of violence against women.

Dr Nombulelo Madala's Consulting Room

Dr Nombulelo Madala: Ngu Doctor Nombulelo iHIV/AIDS community doctor yenu. Ndiyazibulisela emakhaya kwakhona. Nihleli nje apho ekhaya abanitsi benu bazoba beke bayi expirienca okanye bazibonela ngokwabo indaba yoku abuza omama kwicommunities zethu. {IsiXhosa} [I am Doctor Nombulelo your HIV/AIDS community doctor. Greetings to you at home again. There are many of you who will have experienced or seen the abuse of women in our communities.] Women are still being abused a lot in our communities. This is despite the fact that there are laws to try and protect women and there are also educational campaigns in newspapers, TV and radio. I think what is making the problem to continue is that women continue to be dependent on men in most relationships in terms of money and material things like food and shelter and clothing. Also physically we know that women are different than men and the physical situation is such that they cannot defend themselves from men and that is nature we cannot change that but some men abuse that situation. Now you’re probably wondering why I’m mentioning this in an HIV/AIDS slot. In terms of prevention of HIV this is a problem, because even if a women understands that she is at risk of contracting HIV in terms of knowing that her partner is sleeping around she is not able to sit down with a man and discuss prevention of HIV. She cannot sit down and say: “Listen because of the risk that we are in, in this relationship let’s use a condom, or let’s reduce the risk by using less women” because then she’s asking for trouble; she could easily get physically abused or emotionally abused. Also in terms of disclosing their HIV status to the men, a lot of women cannot openly say to the men that: “I’ve tested HIV positive and the clinic has advised that you also test”, because then the man will easily turn around and blame the woman for the HIV situation and then physically or emotionally abuse the woman. I would appeal to the men in the communities to please understand that women have rights and that they must not abuse women’s rights and they must stop abusing women actually. They should take them as equal partners, whether this is a marriage or just a relationship this applies equally. And then I would like to say to the women that: “Please, stand up for your rights, take your rights seriously and there is lots of myths going around in communities that: “If a man abuses you he loves you”, “If he sleeps around then he is an attractive man and you a lucky women.”” Let’s do away from all those old myths, let’s stand up for our rights and move forward in HIV/AIDS prevention. This is Dr Nombulelo signing off. I will see you again next time; stay healthy and good bye.

Vuyani Jacobs: You back with Beat It! In our Special Report we look at government’s announcement that it supports using antiretroviral medicine in our public hospitals and clinics for rape survivors to protect them form being infected with HIV.

Nombeko Mpongo: I wish government had done this sooner because I was raped and had no access to antiretrovirals and I got infected with HIV. Using ARVs to prevent infection is called post exposure prophylaxis or PEP for short. It can prevent a rape survivor becoming infected with HIV.

Special Report - Post Exposure Prophylaxis

Nombeko Mpongo: In 1997 I was raped on my way to work and I didn’t know at that time, I wasn’t even sure that I was raped. It took me sometime to understand it and I went for the test after like three weeks. I didn’t, I was still confused, I was very sick after the rape. I struggled with it and then I tested positive. I didn’t tell anyone here in my home. I didn’t tell anyone here that I was raped, I just said I was robbed. I felt so bad about being raped. I really felt so dirty and the way I was treated in the police station made me feel filthy.

Nombeko Mpongo: Okay this is where I was in 1997 when I was raped. Okay ndafika ndizorepota icase. Ndahlala apha esithulweni and andabuza lipholisa pha lathi ufunantoni sisi, sisi ndingakuceda ngantoni. Ndisoyika, Buti ndireshiwe. {IsiXhosa} [I came to report the case. I sat on this bench and a policeman asked me: “What do you want sisi, how can I help you?” I was afraid; “Brother, I’ve been raped.”] “Ooooo, it’s another rape case again,” that was the response in 1997. And I was very scared because there were a lot of people in front of me looking at me: “She’s raped” and “she’s like different from other people, she’s dirty.” So I just marched out of the door, but now what is happening now; I always take people to the same police station, the rape victims, and then now you just tell them: “Sorry it’s private; I can’t talk in front of people” and then they take you to these rooms right here so that you can feel a bit more comfortable when you sitting here. You can talk everything, you can cry, you can do anything because there is no one watching you like it was before. They take you straight to Thuthuzela Project where you got the access of the rape post exposure prophylaxis; where you can prevent the infection of HIV. So people must report the rape cases to police stations, it’s never like before everything is different now. You can prevent infection, you can survive.

Charlene Smith: I was very lucky because two weeks before I was raped I went to Chris Hani Baragwanath’s prenatal HIV unit; I was writing a lot on AIDS and a fieldworker there who is positive, Florence Ngebeni, she said to me, the very last word, she said was: “Charlene sometime you must write about the fact that you need antiretrovirals after you’re raped.” And it was the last thing I wrote in my notebook and then I was raped two weeks later and battled to get antiretrovirals. I went to three different hospitals at the third hospital I grabbed the doctor in casualty and I said: “I want those drugs and I want them now.”

Nombeko Mpongo: You have to force them, you have to tell them: “I’ve been raped. It is my right to have the medication. It is my right to get the treatment. It is my right to save myself from what I don’t want to get.”

Charlene Smith: In fact the Cabinet statement of the 17^th of April says is: “Immediate access to antiretrovirals for rape survivors.” I’m not sure what government means by immediate because we have seen no access to antiretrovirals for rape survivors.

Prof. Lynette Denny (Gynaecologist, Groote Schuur Hospital): The whole question of PEP is quiet complicated because: are you going to get HIV because you are raped? What I would say to government is I understand their weariness and I understand their concern however we are dealing with one of the highest incidences of rape in the world in this country and that’s a fact, that’s not, that’s not fiction, that’s a fact. We are dealing with a situation where we are dealing with a sexually transmitted disease that although today is treatable it is not treated in this country, it is also today incurable. We know we can prevent it from mother-to-child, we know we can prevent it when doctors get needle stick injuries, we’re pretty sure we can prevent it in this situation and let’s be safe rather than sorry. I mean it’s that kind of approach; prevention is better than cure.

Nombeko Mpongo: From the police station, Gugulethu Police Station, they take you to GF Jooste Hospital where they’ve got Thuthuzela Project and in this project they help rape victims, help them, they give them proper counselling and they give them, they have access to the antiretrovirals to prevent the HIV/AIDS infection. Unfortunately I was never here because it was never here that time and I had no access to report the case right because there was no proper ways of reporting rape victim cases.

Charlene Smith: There is no reason why a doctor in a state hospital, if he has a rape survivor, cannot write out a prescription. I wouldn’t only criticise government because that is to easy but I’d like to know why doctors in hospitals themselves; why isn’t the South African Medical Association taking a position on this? Make sure that our local chemist has antiretrovirals; probably 95% of chemists don’t have antiretrovirals on their shelves. We should demand that they do this.

Sister Pauline Khayelo Barazo (Thuthuzela Centre, GF Jooste Hospital): Sincokole ngengxaki yakho, apha sifumanise ukuba kwenzeke ntoni, nini, uyewadlula epolisteshini okanye uze apha straight? {IsiXhosa} [We say: “Let’s talk about your problem; what happened and when?” “Did you go to the police station or did you come straight here?”]

Nombeko Mpongo: So ube uchule,ukuba udlwenguliwe uhlala kwezi areas zalapha, uba uchule kuza apha. {IsiXhosa} [The best for you to do when you have been raped is to come straight here?]

Sister Pauline Khayelo Barazo: Ha-ah [No no], we don’t encourage that because mandithi [let me], let’s say you are not injured or whatever. So we’ve got a problem here; we find that we are too busy; our doctors are too busy here. {isiXhosa}

Nombeko Mpongo: If they tell you, you don’t have access, you can’t have drugs from us because you don’t stay in certain area you need to force them, they should do it to you, they should give it to you.

Prof. Lynette Denny: Many women after the experience of rape go into denial. Actually the experience of rape has been psychologically liked to a near death experience, where the inner scaffolding of a person is just shattered, and the response to that for many women is to go into denial and to try and make as if everything is okay. And now you have to take drugs and every time you taking a drug it is reminding you that you’ve just been raped and it breaks through denial and makes the denial harder, if that is your psychological response. So we’ve actually, we suspect and some studies have shown that the compliance with post rape medication is very poor and that’s possibly one of the reasons, plus of course all the side-effects.

Nombeko Mpongo: Forget about side effects because when you are raped you don’t even think about side effects, you just want to get the medication because side effects are better than having HIV.

Charlene Smith: Very many of us after we’ve been raped have gone through such trauma that we’re not sure if we want to live or not. Don’t make those decisions, just go onto the drugs.

Nombeko Mpongo: It’s unlike me, I never had time, I was never offered anything so now I’m HIV positive. It doesn’t matter that I’m strong and I can cope with the thing. While you have the chances you please take them; it is good for your health. I always tell people it is good. Go for it; use it. Some people don’t even have access to these things so while you have access use it. It is good for the people.

Vuyani Jacobs: So this means someone who has been raped can go to any public hospital and demand they be given ARVs to prevent themselves becoming HIV positive.

Nombeko Mpongo: Khumbula lilungelo lakho. {IsiXhosa} [It’s your right.] And that brings us to the end of the show for this week. So do you have a pen and paper ready to take down the numbers on your screen now?

Vuyani Jacobs: We really look forward to hear your feedback on the show so please contact us. We’ll be back with you next week on e same place same time.

Nombeko Mpongo: And don’t forget the repeat broadcast: 11h30 on Sundays. Till next week; together we can Beat It!

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