Life can change in an instant. One moment, everything feels perfect — full of dreams, plans, and love — and the next, the world seems to collapse. This is the story of a young woman who discovered she had HIV just before her wedding. It is a story of heartbreak, fear, and isolation, but also of courage, resilience, and hope. It shows that a diagnosis does not define a person, and that even after life’s hardest blows, it is possible to rebuild, to love, and to find happiness again.
This story was made within the project “Empowering Voices for Inclusive Development: Strengthening Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Uzbekistan, focusing on women and youth”, financially supported by European Union.
“I’m 22 years old. Not long ago, I was living in anticipation of the happiest day of my life — our wedding. My fiancé and I were choosing rings, I was trying on dresses, looking for that perfect veil, scrolling through photos of what our celebration would look like. I dreamed about how it would all go: he would take my hand, we’d say “I do,” and a new life would begin.
Shattered Dreams
But it all ended in a single day, the day we went to the registry office. He found out that I had HIV, not from me — he discovered it accidentally through the documents we had to submit. He looked at me, turned pale, and simply stood up and walked away, no words, no explanation, no attempt to understand. I just stood there in disbelief, people around us — music, laughter — and inside me, there was only silence. I don’t remember how I got home, how I took off the dress, how I lay on the bed. It felt like life had been abruptly cut off. One thought kept echoing in my mind: “No one will ever want me now.” I cried for days, I couldn’t eat, didn’t want to get up, ignored all calls. The world turned grey, as if all the colors had vanished. I felt only shame and fear, like my entire meaning as a person had disappeared. A few days later, my mom quietly sat down next to me and said, “You’re alive. That’s what matters. Let’s try to find help.” That’s how I ended up seeing a psychologist from the AFEW International project, supported by the European Union.
First Consultation
At the first consultation, I could barely speak, I just cried. I felt like I was no longer a person, like everything in my life had now been decided forever. But the psychologist didn’t interrupt, he just listened and spoke calmly, confidently, with warmth in his voice. He explained that HIV is not a death sentence, that people live with it, build families, have healthy children, and that I am not my diagnosis or a label, I am a human being who deserves happiness. Those words thawed something frozen inside me, and for the first time in days, I took a deep breath.
Step by Step
In the weeks that followed, we learned how to live again, how to breathe, let go, and look at myself without fear. I started going outside again, brushing my hair, putting on makeup, meeting friends. Gradually, the feeling returned: I exist, and I am not broken. We talked a lot about acceptance and self-worth. I learned that HIV doesn’t make anyone “bad” or “dirty,” it’s simply a diagnosis, one you can live a full life with if you take care of yourself and get treatment.
Hopes for a new life
A month later, I met a man, I wasn’t looking — it just happened. We started talking, and I felt calm with him, no tension. He didn’t pry into my past, he just listened. When I told him about my HIV status, my heart was pounding, and I expected him to turn away. But he just looked me in the eyes and said, “Thank you for trusting me. I’m here.” I will never forget those words.
Building Trust
At the third session, we came together, me and him, and we talked with the psychologist about trust, safety, the fear of infecting someone you love, and how to build a relationship when there’s a diagnosis involved. The psychologist explained everything calmly, scientifically, but also humanely. I watched my partner listen, without fear, without judgment, only with attention and warmth. For the first time in a long while, I smiled genuinely. I realized that I was living again, not just surviving, but feeling, dreaming, loving. Now I know that you can be loved, even when it once seems like everything is over, you can start again, you can build a family, and most importantly, HIV does not take away your right to happiness.
There was a time when I thought HIV had put a period at the end of my life, but it turned out it was only a comma. Today, I live, I receive treatment, I love, and I’m preparing for my wedding. My diagnosis is part of my story, but it’s not all of me. I’m no longer afraid of the word “HIV,” I’m simply a person, and I am happy.
PS. With financial support from the European Union and in partnership with local organizations in Uzbekistan, AFEW International is implementing the project “Empowering Voices for Inclusive Development: Strengthening Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Uzbekistan, focusing on women and youth.” This project strengthens 15 local CSOs that support people living with HIV, with a special focus on women and youth. Using the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, the project works to fight stigma and discrimination and build stronger, more inclusive communities.
In September one of our partners STIQBOLLI AVLOD launched a new project to reduce stigma and discrimination. The goal is not only to protect women and girls living with HIV but also to create a safer and more supportive environment for them. This will be done by building strong dialogue with government agencies, offering training, and creating long-term solutions.
