Reasoning on HIV from Aida, a 13-year-old participant of the project “Mobilization of Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV through Implementing the TEENERGIZER Model in Kazakhstan”.
Why do you speak openly about your status?
Because I am not afraid of criticism and discrimination from society.
What is HIV for you?
HIV is a human immune virus, nothing more.
What did you feel when you found out about your status?
I was a child, I didn’t get the point of my dialogue with mom. She just told me that I have a virus in my blood. She has the same virus, so we take pills to suppress it.
Your relationships with society
It’s nice! People around me are very accept my status, they see me as a normal person. My close friends in class reacted calmly too. I used to have a fear that my friends would turn their backs on me, but that didn’t happen.
What helped you to overcome that fear?
Teenergizer. Experience with the Teenergizer showed me that most of my fears are an illusion that my imagination draws. Also, this project gave me a lot of familiarity with teenagers with HIV status and the understanding that we are all different and have different points of view about the disease.
Why is it important not to be pessimistic?
By putting your hands down, you deprive yourself of the chance to know if you had the slightest chance of winning.
What would you say to all other teenagers with HIV?
Be happy, because everything depends on your character. Don’t blame your status.
