A tale of two HIV positive women

[Guest guest]

A tale of two HIV positive women

Radha Sharma

[Tuesday, January 24, 2006 02:12:47 am TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

AHMEDABAD: Being diagnosed HIV+ was bad enough, but 32-year-old

Seema (name changed) had to face worse - she was sexually exploited

by her father-in-law for 10 days after her husband's death.

" My father-in-law told me if I wanted to stay in his house with my

illness, I would have to oblige, " Seema told TOI. She later refused

to put up with the mental and physical abuse and shifted to a rented

house with her two children.

Life has been tough as she is expected to earn a living as well as

live with the virus that constantly bogs her down with fever and

other illnesses.

If Seema's in-laws made life hell for her, the situation was quite

opposite for 26-year-old Pushpa of Behrampura, whose father-in-law

took it upon himself to take care of her and her child.

The tale of these two women was revealed at a training workshop

on `Homebased care of the HIV-positive' organised by Adhaar, a

network of over 450 HIV+ people in Ahmedabad.

Pushpa's father-in-law, Medhaji, attended the workshop held at Jyoti

Sangh, sponsored by Resource Centre for Sexual Health and HIV-AIDS

with technical help of Saral, a city-based organisation.

" I am lucky as my father-in-law even accompanies me to the doctor

when I am ill. Even my sisters-in-law help me with household chores

when I am down with some illness, " says Pushpa.

Cases like Pushpa's, say HIV activists, are few and far between as

most of the infected people are discriminated against within their

families. " There are many families who simply throw out the HIV+

member, fearing stigma.

Families who accept them tend to discriminate by not allowing the

HIV+ member of the family to cook, use water from the pot, wash

clothes or even play with the kids, fearing infection, " says Varsha,

president of Adhaar who is also HIV+.

Varsha said many HIV+ people are being helped by organisations like

Dardi Seva Trust who sponsor children's fee and food.

The aim of the home-based care training workshop is to sensitise

family members about the HIV virus, issues related to safety and

hygiene levels that need to be maintained in a house with a HIV

patient.

http://www.samachar.com/showurl.htm?

rurl=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1384526.cms?