Peruvian Vale man goes public with his HIV status

Phillip Sam says he feels like a weight has just been lifted off his shoulders.{{more}}

The Peruvian Vale man hopes that by his disclosing that he is HIV positive, the stigma and discrimination that he has been experiencing will end and he will get the help he needs.

“I am getting victimized. I am looking for a job and can’t get no work and people like they don’t want to come close to me.”

Sam, 48 years old, said that he discovered that he was HIV positive about four years ago, and after contemplating his actions, he has finally decided to make it public.

He alleges that a leak of information at the Laboratory at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital contributed to more people knowing his status and also to his going public.

According to Sam, people in his community are talking about him and shunning him.

Out of work for more than two months, the labourer said that he was dismissed from his job after a number of his co-workers indicated to their employer that they no longer wanted to work with him.

The father of five grown children said that incidents like this, along with an uneasiness between him and family members, have made him depressed.

“If they don’t want me around, I can’t argue with the boss on that. Some don’t want to communicate with me,” he said. “I even think of committing suicide, because of the way this thing is affecting me.”

“If they communicate with me I can be a better person.”

Sam said that he contracted the disease from a former sex partner, whom he said indicated that she is willing to spread the disease to ‘thousands more.’

Claiming to be no longer sexually active, he said that he hopes his decision to go public will allow him to walk the streets in peace.

He also wants to warn people of the dangers of having unprotected sex.

“I feel like a pressure is off of me. I want to advise people, especially young men, not to let anybody trick them; use protection.”

“This is not something for people to contract, cause this is a dangerous thing.”

Meanwhile, Diana Bailey, a counselor in the Ministry of Health, is surprised about the high level of discrimination that persons who are HIV positive face in this day and age.

“The information is so wide spread regarding HIV/AIDS and that we would continue to see people being discriminated against.

“There is absolutely no need for that.”

Bailey said that because of this discrimination, persons are afraid to get tested and even those who are HIV positive refuse to come into the clinic for treatment.

Bailey indicated that even counselors and other persons working with persons affected by HIV/ AIDS are sometimes stigmatized and discriminated against.

She called on communities to be more supportive and compassionate of HIV positive persons.

“I think we all should take the responsibility to find out, get to know the facts, and remember it can happen to anyone of us and we won’t want people to treat us that way.”

“There is a lot more to be afraid of out there than HIV.”