Hi, I’m Ali Raza Khan 27 years old young boy from Pakistan. I am from PLHIV community and I’m not shied to tell that however It wasn’t always like that.
There were bad times when I was not well mentally and physically. I remember that it was a kind of normal thing for my family to take me to emergency because of high fever even after getting medications. Sometimes it disappears for few days and sometimes for months. It was not just the fever there were also other complications like bloody diarrhea. I was afraid of eating or going to toilet as medications were not helping for long.
I remember the day I was diagnosed HIV. I wasn’t afraid of it at start until I witnessed a 15-year-old young boy dying of AIDS in HIV/AIDS department of the hospital during my first visit to get ARVS. His body was dark, dried and lean on a bench 3 feet to where I was sitting. I did not want my life to end up like that nor the lives of other young people. The death of this boy can be prevented if diagnosed and treated on time with support of community.
I came to know after 4 months that my ARV formula wasn’t working because of high viral load in my reports. These were the days when I told about my status to my close ones. Unlike my expectations they were supportive. Here in my city it takes almost a month to get viral load results as ART center send blood sample to capital city and reports comes back after 15 to 30 days. I don’t like these delays not only for my own but also for other PLHIV for whom this time can be critical. I still have marks of blisters I got on my body due to high viral load and reaction of my 2nd ARV formula which I have to leave after a week. This was the time I needed support from my family and friends and so I got unlike other PLHIV people which beg for support on online support group. Becoming part of online PLHIV community groups gave me deep insight of how difficult it is for PLHIV especially young people to get support. I tried my best to support other PLHIV by talking to them using online platforms.
Most people believe that people living with HIV just have to take one tablet a day but that’s not true as I have to take six tablets a day 3 in morning and 3 In evening. This is 3rd ARV formula. I have been taking this for almost 9 months. It seems to be working as I have gained my lost weight and there are no more complications. However, I’m not sure because viral load test report can prove that but in this COVID-19 situation ART center delayed my viral load test which they were supposed to take after six months.
I had worked part time as SRHR young advocate before knowing my status but devoted my full time and changed my field of work after knowing my status. As my previous workplace didn’t had friendly environment for people with special needs. Now I’m working for HIV/AIDS prevention in my town of Multan. I’m working in a community-based organization openly as PLHIV to contribute my part to stop new HIV cases among young people. I openly talk about HIV and AIDS and how we can end discrimination and stigma associated with PLHIV on which many SRHR activists also feel shied to talk. I believe my open discussion can help directly or indirectly to prevent a new HIV case. As the 1st day on my ARV I made my mind to work to prevent any other young people die of this preventable disease I started to make my work more sustainable by using online digital and social media for advocacy of HIV/AIDS among young people. I’m writing blogs and starting conversations among young groups as it may can prevent a death in future as close as 3 feet to me.
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