Acceptance and stigma attached to HIV and AIDS is not the only challenge. Those living with the disease continue facing bigger challenges of continuing right medication and healthy eating habits. Lack of money stops them from consuming enough and balanced food, which is a must to support the heavy medication.
Increasing linkage to HIV care, improving HIV surveillance data, increase HIV/AIDS case finding and increase linkage to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) remains Youth Alive Liberia key focus areas in our interventions. Since the beginning of June 2022, both our projects have continued implementing in the target counties, EpiC project in Montserrado and GF/HIV & TB grant in Margibi, Grand Bassa, Nimba and Bong. A myriad of overlapping personal, social, and environmental factors are associated with HIV/AIDS disparities in health care and related outcomes for many young people in Liberia, including substance use, unemployment, untreated mental health problems, delayed HIV testing, and poor HIV medication adherence; the high cost and limited health services and social support.
Socio-cultural practices and perception continue to put more women at risk of contracting the virus. For example, women have been put in a position whereby they don’t make final decisions on how they should live and also decisions on how and when to have sex with their partners. Throughout the last quarter, we spoke to young women living with HIV/AIDS, some of whom are female sex workers, who shared their experiences.
Joyce (not her real name), a 36-year-old former sex worker living in Monrovia, found out her HIV+ status not long ago, 3 years to be precise. Joyce’s partner was HIV+, the status he and his family had kept hidden from her. Unaware of the fact that her partner was HIV+, Joyce got infected. She found out her status only when a doctor called her to the clinic along with her partner.
“When the doctor called me to the health center, I wondered what kind of disease my partner has that I need to be called to the hospital. I agreed to be tested and unfortunately, I had been infected.” She said.
When the doctor called me to the health center, I wondered what kind of disease my partner has that I need to be called to the hospital. I agreed to be tested and unfortunately, I had been infected.
Asked if she thinks she infected other people when she was doing sex work. She affirms that when she was doing sex work, she always used a condom. “Whenever a client wanted sex from me, if he doesn’t want to use condom, then I couldn’t sleep with them. I learnt about the importance of using condom long time and I have never had plain sex with any client, apart from my partner.” She adds. Her partner died one year later. Joyce’s condition started worsening too. She became weak, her immune system became weak and she started feeling sick from time to time. She got some medicines, but it didn’t work for her. In fact, it further deteriorated her condition. Joyce lost a lot of weight, her eyesight became frail and she could barely stand.
Whenever a client wanted sex from me, if he doesn’t want to use condom, then I couldn’t sleep with them. I learnt about the importance of using condom long time and I have never had plain sex with any client, apart from my partner.
“I almost lost my life. I went to a different doctor and got admitted to the hospital. I spent almost two months at the hospital, and its then that I started picking up my life again.” she said.
Joyce is now healthy and does petty trading to feed her two children from a previous relationship and one of her brother’s children who she takes care of.
Disparities related to barriers to care for HIV-positive and at-risk minorities continue to be a major public health problem. Adaptation of efficacious HIV prevention interventions for use as health communication innovations is a promising approach for increasing minorities’ utilization of HIV health and ancillary services. In addition to other prevention mechanisms, behavior change is a widely-used, HIV prevention strategy, employ culturally tailored narratives to depict experiences of an individual modeling health risk reduction behaviors.
As an organization, we recognize that change of attitudes, perceptions and beliefs at individual and community level in the present health, social and economic environment is a complex and an ongoing process. It is indivisibly linked to such basic human values such as care, love, faith, family and friendship, respect for people and cultures, solidarity and support.
I don’t hide my status, I tell everyone that I am HIV+, and if they have a problem with that then it’s their choice. Some have changed their attitudes now, they don’t discriminate but others still think that I will affect them if they interact with me.
We speak to Rhoda (not her real name) another young woman living with HIV. Rhoda says since she shared her HIV status to her family and friends, some have continued to stigmatize and discriminate her. “They think that they will catch this disease from me. They stopped interacting with me and they gossip so much about my condition” she says. However, she admits that she is now stronger and doesn’t care about those who stigmatize her. She says she will continue being open about her status.
“I don’t hide my status, I tell everyone that I am HIV+, and if they have a problem with that then it’s their choice. Some have changed their attitudes now, they don’t discriminate but others still think that I will affect them if they interact with me.” She adds.
Increasing PrEP awareness and use in this population is needed to prevent HIV transmission and end the HIV epidemic in the Liberia. Tailored PrEP campaigns and routine screening can increase PrEP awareness and use among the key pop and marginalized people.
We strive to work with all stakeholders to employ preventive strategies in order to achieve the 95:95:95 target.