EPISODE 2 - Adolescents and ARVs

This episode deals with a relatively new phenomenon that we are all having to come to terms with: children born with HIV surviving into their adolescent years thanks to ARVs! This is the new reality of the success of ARVs, and is the most stirring and convincing story of our ability to beat HIV and AIDS with ARVs.

It is also a challenge to ensure that every child infected with HIV has the same right! Flora Thabela from the Adolescents Ward at Desmond Tutu hospital joins our host Shalom Ncala in the studio to bring us uplifting stories about these young people not becoming victims, but instead living normal, healthy lives with HIV. In our first insert from the Eastern Cape, we see the courage and defiance of a 10 year old bravely coming to terms with his status. Young Siphosethu Warrington touchingly tells us that he sees HIV as someone living inside him, who he tells is not going to harm him. We also see how people in his community of New Brighton look out for him.

Read what the courageous Siphosethu had to say.

Busi raises the point that in this day and age children needn't be born with the illness at all. She salutes Siphosethu's bravery for taking ARVs, as it's not an easy feat even for adults. In order for children to lead normal lives, they need to be on ARVs, but getting children to take medication is difficult at the best of times, so getting them to understand what HIV is, can compound the problem. We also meet 14 year old Abraham ‘Abie' Liebenberg, who candidly and openly talks about how difficult it is to deal with HIV in his adolescent years.

Download a transcript of what Abie had to say.

This second episode of Siyayinqoba Beat It! is touching and uplifting and teaches us the value of listening to young people. We learn that kids are resilient, and as long as they have ARVs someone to help them through it, there is no reason why children born with HIV should not look forward to a normal life – education, career, marriage and even having their own children!

IT'S A FACT