In a country like Somalia where the population is predominantly Muslim, it’s very rare for HIV victims to speak about their condition. What’s even more rare is if the HIV victim is a woman. Despite this, a 50-year-old woman who is a Somali refugee is speaking out about her disease.

The mother of four shared how she discovered that she had HIV about a year ago. Primarily, she only wanted to get tested for tuberculosis but doctors told her to seek voluntary counseling and testing as well. She was shocked and devastated when the results of the tests came back positive. She suspects that the HIV was passed on to her by her ex-husband who remains in Somalia and whom she heard was also sick. Fortunately, all her children tested negative.

She also talks about how the virus made her see who her friends really are. People whom she thought were her friends quickly turned against her upon finding out that she had HIV. In fact, she and her children have had to move around four times because her neighbors discriminate against her and her family. Some neighbors even assume that just by talking to her, they could contract the disease.

She shares how ignorance is the biggest problem for HIV victims in the country today and how this ignorance prohibits patients like her from speaking up.

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