|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
| This is the essay series by women living with HIV. The authors in Japan,
Cambodia, Portugal and the Philippines, write about episodes and the
feelings of their daily lives. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
 “You are doing what you want to do. Then stop excusing yourself. Just do it!”
This is what one of my friends told me when I came back from one meeting of an international HIV/AIDS NGO in last January. I felt like I cannot do anything.
I became an HIV positive speaker after I knew my HIV status for several years. Since then I have two names, one is my real name and the other is an alias as PLWHA. I work for a private company on weekdays while I work as an HIV positive after work and in weekends.
At the beginning I talked about my experience in training workshops for health care providers. About two years ago, I started participating in PLWHA network in Japan and in Asia and the Pacific. I was always eager to take part but I was always wondering whether I have a right to be part of it. I wondered if I am committing myself enough to these networks when I am having a regular job which has nothing to do with HIV. I also wondered if I can say I am one of them while I live in Japan where we don’t have some of problems our friends in other countries are facing. But thanks to what my friend said to me, I realized why I wanted to get involved with these activities in the first place.
There was a drastic change in HIV treatment after several years from my diagnosis in early nineties. When my husband died some ten year ago, there were few medicines and they were not available in most of the world. He lost his life to AIDS without any treatment while I could enjoy benefit of development of ARVs and I am living a happy life.
My husband’s death is not an old tale. There are still many, many people who are dying because they cannot have access to treatment. Those are friends I always feel great to know when I attend meetings and workshops. I want to chat, laugh and share with them for the rest of my life. Doing advocacy for access to treatment is not just a matter of human rights but a matter of lives of my dear friends. It doesn’t matter in what capacity I work or which country I am from either. I should not excuse myself by saying I cannot do much things because I am not working for HIV/AIDS organization. I know what I can do is very little but I am trying my best. I have many friends working together and we can help each other.
I also have lots of people who support me. I really appreciate a great help of my family and friends. Without their help, I cannot do anything even if I really want to do. I also appreciate my workmates who cover my absence at work as well. They don’t know my HIV status but I always tell them I am going to attend meetings and workshop about HIV/AIDS. I’m sure they think I am a weird woman who does something which is completely different from what she is doing at work.
Let’s work positive! That is what I learned from my experience so far. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|