Gov’t should reach out to us on HIV matters, youth says

As the World marked the World AIDS Day on Thursday, December 1, Joyce Amondi, a 19-year-old girl and university student, joined in marking the day at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

Joyce, a young woman living with the virus, says she has not let her situation define her.

“It’s been three years since I first got tested and I‘m hoping to achieve goals I have set for myself,” says the bubbly cheerful lady.

Over 70,000 youths in Kenya between ages 15 to 24 are infected with the HIV virus, with most of them facing stigma from their families.

According to Joyce, she first faced stigma and isolation from her friends and family, the moment her status was known openly.

“My family was scared and they didn’t know how to accept the news, and soon enough the people around me were scared of me, but I had to find a way to beat all odds and brace myself because there was no one else to live my life on my behalf. I had to make the decision myself,” she said.

According to Joyce, youths in the country seem to be more afraid of pregnancy than they are of HIV.

Joyce explains that the current society has come to terms with abortion and is dismissing the use of condoms, making it harder to combat the virus.

“What we do today is we have sugarcoated HIV, just because HIV can be handled and pregnancy can’t,” she said.

For Joyce, she hopes the government would do more to reach out to the youth concerning the HIV virus, instead of expecting them to come out openly and accept their status.

“It is not for us to show up, let them [the government] come to where we are. Our social places, our hang out zones, let them come out to us,” expressed Joyce.