It has long haunted our country. We’ve all heard the numerous urban legends about contaminated needles in dark cinema halls and other tales that took on the form of monsters under our beds.
Above it all, the implied shame. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immunodificiency syndrome (AIDS) was a conversation the Philippines didn’t want to be ready for.
However, the recently reported number by the Department of Health (DOH) saying 52,280 Filipinos are living with HIV demand that that conversation must be held now. In the wake of the rising tide of calls for awareness and proper sexual education, The LaSallian looks into the lives of people who are fighting for awareness and people who are living with HIV.
Misconceptions
Stephen Estillore (I, BSE-ENG) says, “People tend to avoid contact with individuals labelled as People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) because they’re scared they might get it.” Although usually used interchangeably, HIV and AIDS are two different things. HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system while AIDS stems from an advanced form of HIV wherein the immune system is already too weak to fight off the infection. A person can’t catch HIV through physical contact, mosquito bites, and saliva. However, it is possible to receive it through sexual intercourse, unsterilized needles, blood transfusions, and through childbirth if the mother has the virus.
Hope springs eternal
“Jovial” is the word that comes to mind when looking at Dennis*. Laugh lines crease his face, and his jokes are plenty and easy. However, when asked what propelled him to volunteer at the LoveYourself Uni clinic, his face took on a haunted look. He’s known friends who lost all hope in the face of a disease which takes and takes. “I don’t want anyone else to feel that way as much as possible, I volunteer…to let them know that there’s still hope after HIV,” he says, the smile slowly returning to his face.
Started initially by Vin Pagtakhan in 2011 as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, LoveYourself has now grown into a social hygiene clinic providing free HIV screenings. “Iniingatan at inaasikaso,” are words that volunteers and life counselors Dennis, Dr. Gio, James, and Alvin have taken to heart as they tirelessly devote themselves to guiding and supporting people in their time of need.
(Keeping safe and taking care).
“That’s what keeps us going; na magkakaroon ka ng impact sa other people’s lives,” Alvin shares. With the recent signing of the HIV-AIDS law, the LoveYourself team looks forward to making a bigger difference as they continue to fight for HIV awareness and the destigmatization of the condition.
(That’s what keeps us going; you’ll have an impact on other people’s lives.)
People living with HIV
We only see the statistics, the facts, and the whispers. We sometimes overlook that behind all these are actual stories, experiences, and people who are first stigmatized before heard.
Thirdy*, a 27-year old IT consultant, admitted that people like him living with HIV are often viewed as mere statistics. He says, “I am not just a part of their statistics because I am a human being whose life they only measure by how much sexual partners we had.” Yet beyond the virus, Thirdy is just a regular person. He loves to hike and spend the night outdoors. He loves to travel and experience the beauty around him. He loves to meet people and hear their stories. He is young and driven—standing as the sole breadwinner of his family. However, all these were skipped over after he was diagnosed as HIV-positive.
He went in the LoveYourself Uni clinic along Gil Puyat feeling apathetic and went out with tears—not exactly because he was diagnosed as HIV-positive, but because of the effect this could bring his family. His two siblings were still in college, both his parents did not have any jobs or financial sources. “I’m gonna leave my mother and father wondering what went wrong and blaming themselves for not being there for me. I can’t do that to them, not now,” he recalled. We talked to Thirdy only through emails, but his words were filled with emotions that pierced through our own perception of people living with HIV.
Unlike Thirdy, Chris* was in a relationship when he got tested and diagnosed. His boyfriend was supportive and even got himself tested as well. Chris is one of the lucky ones. His sister, boyfriend, and a friend are all there to support him whenever fear knocks him down. “Being HIV-positive is not a death sentence,” he says.
What Thirdy and Chris now ask for is for everyone to treat the people experiencing it with respect and understanding. Being diagnosed as HIV-positive is like being diagnosed with any other illness. Volunteers like Dennis do what they do for people like Thirdy and Chris, who are no less worthy of respect and help than any other person diagnosed with a disease. The HIV-AIDS law brings the topic to the forefront. It is with hope that this bill is the start of a more understanding society where being diagnosed with HIV is not a mark of disgrace, a society that greets people with empathy—not judgment.
*Names with asterisks are pseudonyms.
