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THIS WEEK IN SIYAYINQOBA BEAT IT!
2008 SERIES

EPISODE 22 - Disclosure

The TeamAdolescents & ARVsHerpes & HIVCelebrities & HIVSero-disordant coupleRelationships & sex Breast, bottle or cup?VCTHate crimesMDR & XDR TBCircumcisionGender violenceInfants on ARVsSexual negotiationsSocial grantsCervical cancerSubstance abusePMTCTFarm workers & HIVPEPTeen pregnancyDisclosureNSPStigma and predjudiceWater and sanitationHuman rights

Will you still love me tomorrow?

Bulelwa and her mother

One of the greatest challenges of living positively with HIV/AIDS is the act of telling your loved about your status.  No two people react in the same way when confronted with the HIV positive status of a loved one and some HIV positive people are often rejected by their friends, family, and colleagues. This rejection is because of the stigma that still surrounds the disease in our communities. The decisions to be made of when, where and to who to disclose to aren't easy but as this episode of Siyayinqoba Beat It! shows disclosing to loved ones, however hard, most often brings about acceptance, understanding and treatment support.

No two situations are the same. We learn that each of the members in the Support Group have their own stories and memories of disclosing.  Our first insert is from the Western Cape where we meet Bulelwa. Bulelwa shares her experience of how, by disclosing to the one person in the world she could really trust - her mother, she found the support and courage to fight the virus. At first Bulelwa's mother was shocked but soon realised that HIV was a manageable condition and chose to support her daughter encouraging her visits to the clinic and her support group. Bulelwa's mother goes on to implore other parents not to turn their back on their children should they be diagnosed as HIV Positive.

The next insert is from Mtambalala in the Eastern Cape where Treatment Action Campaign members disclose their statuses to community members. This in turn prompts the HIV positive community members to share their disclosure experiences and how they dealt with their HIV positive test results.

In the final segment we see how some members in our communities have the burden of having to disclose twice. We meet Bongi and Thandi who not only had to disclose their HIV positive statuses but also had to come out of the closet as lesbians. Although Bongi can't be sure how she contracted HIV, Thandi was infected after having been raped. Bongi and Thandi speak to us about the lack of understanding of homosexuality, the challenges lesbians face and the stigma that surrounds HIV and AIDS in our communities.

This episode of Siyayinqoba Beat It! concludes that positive living can only come from a positive environment and that all of us need to create an environment where disclosing becomes easier and where the support and acceptance of friends and family is a given.

IT'S A FACT

Two young men at a disclosure workshop

Bongiwe and Thandi

Thandi

Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape

 

 One of the most difficult moments for anyone living with HIV is having to tell someone about it.
It is especially hard to tell partners and family about one's HIV status, because of the stigma associated with the virus.
Coming out about your status to someone you trust is important. There is an immense sense of relief and reduction in stress when talking openly about your status for the first time.
Being open about your status, to at least one other person, is often a requirement in accessing antiretroviral treatment (ART).
The person who knows about your status should act as a treatment supporter, to help ensure good adherence to ART.
Experience has shown that people who are open about their status are more adherent to their treatment, as they have support from others.
Being open about your status is an essential part of beating HIV/AIDS.
There is never a right time to tell someone - it is always going to be difficult.
Telling someone you trust, who you know will be supportive, is usually a good starting point before telling people who will react negatively.
Many people say it is easier to tell a complete stranger or a nurse at the clinic, than it is to tell someone who is close to you.
Being open with your status helps maintain safer sex and that ensures that HIV is not transmitted.
Joining a support group, of other people living with HIV, is often a good way to start becoming open about your status.
All antiretroviral clinics will be able to direct you to a nearby support group.
In South Africa, you may not be discriminated against on the grounds of your HIV status.
You may not be forced to disclose your status for any work-related reason.