IS POSITIVE LIVING REALLY POSSIBLE?
By Olivia Phiri

Positive ness in an HIV positive body is not as easy as books and adverts presume should be the case. The burden of having the virus is not easy and can be a lonely journey, especially for widows, widowers, rape survivors and single parents.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a miniature but ravaging organism that attacks the very soul of a person. The virus has got the tendency to attack the most vital organ in the body, the Brain. Many people who have the virus suffer from stress related symptoms and may expose characters and outbursts very unusual to their normal self.

AIDS is a dilapidating illness that eats at the core of a persons defence mechanism. The white blood cells, which help fend off the simplest illnesses, are weakened and thus the normal cold to a positive person could prove life threatening.

One can wonder about the real virus’s objective. Fine we have understood that it eventually leads to death but its ability to destroy the human body before hand is rather depressing and almost makes one believe the assumption of it’s alleged creator- drug conglomerates.

HIV/AIDS has human demeaning effects, other than the psychological effect I mentioned earlier but the loss of hair, body weight; over grown nails and darkening skin make the disease treacherous and insight vices such as suicide and unwarranted quick deaths, due to stress and self inflicted stigma.

Other than drug companies making huge profits out of AIDS, one may question its geographical location. The disease seems to be more centred on poor communities in this case, Africa.

The key was making a disease that needs constant supply and production of drugs and a disease that allows many other infections and side effects that can be healed by the provision of other drugs, therefore widening the profit margin.

The issue of racism and experiments by medical practioners make Africa an easy target, filled with people ready to accept any medical solution that comes for free as long as it has been said to be able to help.

All these are arguments that people have had in order to try and understand the science behind the HIV virus. I personally do not blame any one because I do not have enough evidence to prove the virus’s origin, but I too have had many thoughts.

Many people in Zambia have the virus that causes AIDS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. There are four types of people in Zambia and I should say, the tested, not tested, don’t want to talk about it and the just don’t ever want to know.

It is devastating seeing the way families are being wiped out because of the Virus, but life sustaining drugs are available at the moment at almost all health centres in the country.

Antiretroviral Treatment (ART), Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Care Treatment (PMTCT) and Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres are all over the country.

Positive people should not firstly stigmatise themselves and view themselves as heading for the grave; everybody is born to do so. A good and well balanced diet must be maintained, with protein for body building. Enough and not excruciating exercises should be a daily routine to promote good supply of oxygen and equal flow of blood to parts of the body.

Negative people should try their best to stay negative and help communities in what ever way they can to promote safe habits.

And for those in the ‘ I don’t know arena’, knowing if you are HIV positive or negative is very important, so that you are able to start ART early enough for it to work for you if you are positive.

By knowing your status, you will be contributing to the countries development through, actively participating as an informed and free person.

You will be able to contribute to the growth of a nation by improving its democratic new era and may help the steady improvement of the national economy by lessening the burden on the health sector.

You may also help lessen the growing numbers of Orphans in the country, which has given the rise of street kids and crime around the country.

Lastly, you may be able to teach others (most especially the youths, who have been said to be most sexually active and productive) through your own experiences how they can prevent getting the virus.


QUOTES>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>???? Positive person willing to talk about their experience in coping with disease.

Other measures society can take that can help make life more positive for those living with the virus is by coming up with a more favourable or sensitive language when addressing issues around AIDS.

Words such as Kill, deadly, and other phrases should be revised by HIV institutions to help create a more liveable environment. Others have argued that the use of this kind of language has helped in keeping people from getting (re)infected, but the other negative result is the fear of the disease and people with it.

This statement does not mean that AIDS does not lead to death, but rather that we should think that life with the virus is like a rebirth. A new beginning for a better health watch and good eating habits that negative people cannot mange.

It is a new consciousness that brings understanding and appreciation of life and respect for family members and society. Because of the new consciousness, a person better appreciates the importance of a clean environment and personal hygiene.

Living positive can bring renewed strength and can incite the advocate in any person for the improvement of human rights and equal opportunities. HIV/AIDS has taught humanity love, sharing and responsibility.

Together lets us fight Stigma and discrimination, let’s put our minds together and fight the disease by keeping away from behaviours or situations that may promote infection or re-infection.

In conclusion, to answer whether positive living is possible, the answer is yes. I believe the faster we can come to terms with the disease, the easier it may become to deal with its upsetting effects on people, families, communities, countries and the world.