2 incredible women living with HIV inspire others with their story
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), if treated properly with the right medications, can be maintained. There was a time when society shunned people living with the virus, now it is something others help those living with it fight.
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This unity has brought many HIV positive individuals to the limelight, to talk about their struggles and motivate others who are not brave enough or those who are going through some other kind of issue.
The year 2018 brought with it many highs and lows. Briefly.co.za now looks at some memorable moments this year when HIV-positive individuals have inspired us all.
Zikhona Dingile: The 26-year-old is HIV-positive but fought against discrimination via social media. She revealed how the stigma has affected her whenever she disclosed her status.
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Dingile urged people not to be afraid to disclose their HIV status but also appealed to the public to be more accepting and understanding.
The young lady had social media users in awe earlier this year when she praised her best friend, Sinazo Andries.
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Lebogang Motsumi: This lady is another woman that has motivated South Africans by talking about what she struggles with. She admitted she had been in denial about being HIV-positive for a long time.
The 29-year-old’s story is an interesting one as she initially contracted the virus while only 17 years of age.
The virus was passed on to her by an HIV-positive celebrity who has since passed away. Motsumi eventually accepted her HIV status 3 years later and started taking ARVs.
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However, she stopped when she joined a church with a pastor who claimed he could cure the condition.
After stopping the ARV treatment, she was hospitalised for 6 months as her condition deteriorated. She’s dedicated her life to educating the youth on HIV and to urge them to live positively.
Motsumi refers to herself as uBabes we HIV via social media to shine a light on the issue.
Briefly.co.za had earlier reported that the 29-year-old had motivated people on Twitter by sharing her story. She revealed that she had 3 abortions, she was defiled twice, lost her womb and lost a son when she was just 16.
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Source: Briefly News
