I can't imagine living with HIV/AIDS.

I felt them, their eyes watching me as I moved to the Injection room to receive my shots. I had earlier on given my folder to a nurse who explained to me that I needed to run a test which I didn’t have money for. I had come to the hospital alone. As I moved to the Injection Room, I saw a man (he didn’t look like nurse and didn’t look like a doctor) pick it up and look through. The nurse signaled to him that I was the one. I couldn’t hear, but I did see. It was obvious, very obvious they were talking about me.

That word stigma, the word I had carelessly used to describe what I had only attributed to people who had HIV/AIDS had walked up to me and embraced me with open arms. I felt ashamed, angry and sad. I tried tapping my heels together like Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz so I could disappear from that hospital. It didn’t work.

 

The nurse tied a plastic tube around my upper arm and began searching for a vein to give me shots. She tried effortless about 3 times . Afterwards she was able to locate a vein. She gave me three shots of something . I have never been scared of needles but that day,I was. It was painful and I wanted to cry. After the last shot, blood was just oozing out. OMG, whats happening? An older nurse entered the room and watched as the younger one tried to stop the bleeding.

 She said,"You are a beautiful girl, don't be doing that. Next time tell him to use a condom.See how you are suffering.Have you seen ?Make sure he uses a condom the next time. He won;t marry you.Why are you doing this to yourself ? Can't you just wait till you get married?

 

To be continued.