“I remember the day when one of my relatives was visiting, and I prepared a mango for her, slicing it just the way she likes,” says Salma, a bright 18-year-old living with HIV in northeast Tanzania. “When I took it to her, she asked ‘Are you sure you have not washed all your HIV virus into this mango?’ She left it and got another one. I went to my room and cried.
“Later on, she called me to eat, and when I went to the table, I saw that she had labeled my plate with my name so that I don’t share it with other people—fearing that I will contaminate them with the virus. This just amplified my pain even more.”
Salma is a teen advocate with the USAID Boresha Afya project, administered by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) in partnership with EngenderHealth and the Tanzania Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC). She says that although she is now physically healthy, thanks to her adherence to antiretroviral medication (ARVs), the ongoing stigma takes a toll on her and other young women living with HIV. At a recent advocacy orientation session, Salma shared some of her struggles with her peers.
Although Salma is now physically healthy thanks to her adherence to her medication, ongoing stigma takes a toll on her and other young women living with HIV.
“It all started in 2013 when I found a boil on my feet which was accompanied with fever, excruciating pain, and nausea,” says Salma. “Every time I went to the hospital, I was told that I had malaria and a urinary tract infection. I became tired of this unending condition. I saw how my fellow children were enjoying their lives and wished I also enjoyed the painless life they were having. Every time I took my medications, I cried, wishing there was a way for me to ease the pain.
“One day I said to myself, This has to end! I went to my father and asked that I go to Babati Hospital for a full checkup. My father agreed and asked that I give him some time to raise money for transport.
“For two days, I took several tests. On the last day, the doctor asked my father if we had taken the big test. My father replied angrily that we had done all the tests that were needed. Later on, I asked my father what the doctor meant by the big test, and he told me it was the HIV test. I told my father if that’s what it takes for me to get better, then so be it. My father agreed, and we did the test.
“When the results showed I am HIV-positive, my world crumbled in on me. My dad, too, was tested, but he was HIV-negative. However, my mother tested HIV-positive.
“My condition improved when I began taking ARVs, but the battle is still far from over. My mother and I continue to be stigmatized—even by close relatives and family members.”
According to UNAIDS 2020 report, AIDS remains the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa. Stigma and discrimination continue to impede the realization of human rights—including access to essential information and services to prevent and treat HIV.
Salma finds fellowship with other young people living with HIV through her Ariel Teen Club, a peer support group sponsored by USAID Boresha Afya. Unfortunately, as with many vulnerable teens, lack of money can be a barrier. She is one out of 6,726 adolescents aged 10-19 served by the USAID Boresha Afya project, which seeks to increase access to quality, comprehensive, and integrated health services among women, families, and youth in Tanzania’s six regions of Dodoma, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Tabora, and Singida.
“Sometimes I feel neglected and alone. It is only the Ariel Teen Club members who understand me. But to meet with them I need money to go to the health facility. I don’t know how I will meet my fellow teens and continue to go to the facility to take my ARVs, but am hopeful God will make a way.”
Like countless young people around the world, Salma is stepping out of her “dark cave” to advocate on behalf of her generation.
“The teen advocacy training has come at the right time for me,” says Salma. “I am using my experience to influence decision makers to end HIV stigma in Tanzania. I am also learning how to work with influencers to create more space to achieve zero discrimination among people living with HIV.”
