Win control over your life in the battle against HIV/AIDS

Every era has its own language; the words that are used to represent the feelings and attitudes of the time. However, there is one word which we all know and understand, and that we can all conquer - "empowerment".

In South Africa this word has come to represent personal triumph over societal norms, which in the past stopped us from progressing. Black people are building on their new, free identity; women are seizing the opportunities from which they were previously barred; athletes are bringing gold medals home from the Paralympics. All of these people are empowering themselves and it is time we follow in their footsteps by empowering ourselves against our biggest oppressor; HIV/AIDS.

Living with the virus is a very personal issue and empowering yourself against it does not mean that you have to display your personal challenge to the whole world. To the contrary, your fight against HIV/AIDS can remain as private as you want it to be. Aid for Aids is an organisation that works for GEMS to provide you with the support that you need if you are HIV positive or if you just need more information on the disease. The process is completely confidential and Aid for Aids, just like GEMS and your doctors, are bound by law not to disclose your information. In turning to them for help you help yourself by taking control out of the hands of the virus, and putting it back into your own.

This may be easier said than done, as difficult truths are always hard to face, but as Eunice (44), a teacher, explains, "The hardest part is knowing your status and registering with Aid for Aids, after that the doctors take over and you can actually breathe a sigh of relief." Eunice discovered her status seven years ago when she decided to get tested after yet another family member passed away. "All around me people were dying and I didn't want to go with them, my children need me and there are already too many nieces and nephews who don't have parents in my family. My mother and aunts can't take on any more children, and besides, these kids miss their parents. It's very sad," says Eunice.

Despite the morbidity surrounding this disease, there is a way out. "I was sick and tired of sitting around and feeling depressed about it," explains Eunice, "I couldn't sleep at night because I was so worried. When I finally registered on the Aid for Aids Programme, they were very patient and understanding. They explained to me that having HIV and not taking any medication if required is like leaving the doors and windows of your home unlocked when you know that robbers are coming. They could come in five months or five years and you don't know when it will happen, but if you don't do anything about it now, they will come and take everything from you, the virus will suddenly take over your body and then it will be too late to do anything about it. I was glad that I had decided to take responsibility, even though I know it's not my fault that I have HIV."

There are many like Eunice who has decided to take responsibility for their lives because they don't want HIV to be responsible for their deaths. Aid for Aids offers all the services you will need; they administer your Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), they counsel you and they monitor your progress. They also give you useful information about other things that you might not be aware of. Sifiso (39), an administration clerk, found that Aid for Aids helped him get his health back under control: "They introduced me to "Positive Living" which tells me how to live my new life. There is information about keeping my belongings clean and washing my food so that I don't get any bacterial infections. We have to be careful because we get sick more easily than other people. They also told me which foods are good for me to eat and how much exercise and sleep I need. I don't eat fried foods anymore, and I also don't have as much sugar. In fact, I feel better now than I ever have. Everyone keeps telling me how good I look. It's amazing, I feel like I've had a fresh start in life."

Aid for Aids is helping Eunice and Sifiso to empower themselves every day, while the organisation takes care of all the technicalities. ART is closely and consistently monitored throughout the patients' treatment so that optimum results are achieved. This means that the doctors and laboratory staff make sure that each and every patient is on the right medication so that their life can continue normally. Aid for Aids also makes sure that each patient receives appropriate counselling as their emotional and mental wellness is not only important for their own sake but also for that of their loved ones. "Before I registered on the Aid for Aids Programme I was always worried because I knew I was HIV positive, and my family could see that I was depressed. It was like a black cloud hanging over the house and I felt like it was my fault. Now that I'm on the ART things feel normal again at home. Of course I have had to change my life a bit, but it's worth it. I would rather make the effort to take my medicine on time and to put on a jersey when it's getting cold, than let myself die," reflects Sifiso.

Aid for Aids not only offers support on a normal day-to-day basis, but also for those who are going through stressful times. A new mother, for example, often finds it difficult to adhere to her ART after giving birth and the stresses of caring for a new-born can lead to her neglecting her own health. She will need support at this time and Aid for Aids can assist with this transition as well.

The organisation also offers answers to the sorts of questions many people have, such as:

1) What should I do if I am HIV positive, or think I might be?
2) How will my condition be monitored?
3) Will I receive cover for ART?
4) What benefits are available?
5) How do I join the Aid for Aids programme?

Joining the programme is easy and can be done in the six simple steps below:

1) Register with Aid for Aids, in confidence, by contacting them on 0860 100 646, or by downloading the application form from www.gems.gov.za
2) Fill in your details. Get your doctor to examine you and complete your form.
3) Send the form to Aid for Aids via toll-free fax line - 0800 600 773 or post to - The Aid for Aids Programme, P O Box 38597, Howard Place 7450, South Africa.
4) The Aid for Aids medical team will review your case and discuss the appropriate treatment with your doctor.
5) Aid for Aids will send both you and your doctor a letter explaining your treatment plan.
6) To obtain your treatment visit your healthcare provider.  However, do remember to take your prescription along!

By contacting Aid for Aids and knowing your status, you join the many that are fighting HIV/AIDS. Only you can help yourself in making the decision to take your life back into your hands, but thereafter the organisation will help you to look after it. There is every reason to take responsibility in empowering ourselves and allowing Aid for Aids into our lives, to help us.