My ARVs EXPERIENCE

Some old adage says "practice what you preach", well do you practice what you preach?! Because more often we're caught off guard and/or ironically do not do what we teach to others. Take an instance of an "Entrepreneurship teacher" who teaches this life-support subject but hasn't owned any sort of entrepreneural or business. And also people who make school policy are mostly policymakers who've never taught a single day in thier lives. A church ardent who prays day in day out but when someone done then wrong they hardly forgive yet "FORGIVENESS" will never miss the prayer menu; all of these few examples draws me back to my first experience with ARVs (HIV medicine) however, in form of Post Exposure Prophylaxis (Pep) owing to my suspected exposure to the HIV virus.

Back in 2019 I had a very stellar moments of my youthful life; some experience that nothing will ever take away from me. Not even death- no! I travelled across this entire country from central to north, east, to west to south doing lots of capacity building of young people on comprehensive sexuality education as well as sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Love, sex and relationships were definitely a topic you cannot quit while interacting with young adolescents, furthermore, you will always have to put HIV/AIDS in the mix too- for the reason that its prevalence among young people is on a high (like research was telling us; it increased from 20% to 24% among young people aged 15 to 20 more so young girls) .

Discussing HIV/STIs and unplanned pregnancies  to in-depth comprehesively, is something I'd taken wholeheartedly. Somebody could wake me up in the wee hours of the night I'll just watch my face and deliver as expected. All these information I had was and will always be to share, learn and empower other young people- in a way that we all live a healthy and productive lifestyles. So, on 15th September, 2019, I was returning from Nakivale Refugees Settlement in Isingiro after a wonderful funny moments and educative activities.

I decided to make a stop over in Mbararra to check on one of my then many multiple former partners. My instinct and I are always at loggerheads ( in fact it wins in all cases) so I picked up my phone and dialed Delilah's number (not real names) to meet me at "Da Cave lounge" one of the best hangouts in Mbararra city. She is kind of struck with surprise that I was in town, so she showed up. Food, drinks and all the fun we had were absolutely on point and some revelers wished "they were us". Unluckily, Delilah detested my idea of going with her to my hotel room! Lost my nerves and I got high on liquor to cool me down. Long story short, I went back with one of the waitress to my hotel room. I can't remember how many times we made to Nelly's song "Dilemma" (which was playing on my laptop) and we'd an unprotected sex, worst enough without knowing our names, blood status- completely nothing!

Apparently, all that were caused by Delilah refusing to go with me. Early the next morning, furious and at the same time shivering as this unknown waitress jokingly said "Yes I am HIV positive." Good omen always follow me, she accepted to go with me for testing at AIDS center, Mbararra. We went through all the channels, got all the testing done- boom we were all "negative" but... I had to force for us to be give "PEP" owing to the reason that " both of us do not know who was the last partner (s) we've had sex with in the past few days" and I was seconded. That afternoon 16th of September, left Kampala for the next thirty-two days on ARVs (in form of pep). Perhaps, according to WHO/UNAIDs- when you suspect and/or exposed to or gotten in contact with an HIV/AIDs infected person it could be through sex or accidents within 72 hours you should be put straight on Post exposure prophylaxis treatment ( and its results shows it protects or kills the virus in your body within the specified day(s) but it's only 99% correct and the 1% is how you've been handling your medication so it can literally change your result).

In all, I am negative and I do my testing very often... So my point is, it's very important to know your partner (s) HIV/AIDS status. It might sound weird but it's very very important!

#MARPI #AIDSCENTER #SAFESEX #TASO #STF

Comments

  1. Joseph OdanaJanuary 26, 2022 at 1:00 AM

    Awareness among young people of the status of their partners should be more emphasized. Young people who have just experienced sex for the first few times have a tendency of endulging in multiple unprotected sexual relationships. The promiscuity here has seen the future of many cramble because of being exposed to incurable diseases like HIV/AIDs, Hep B etc.

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