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How testing positive changed my lifeGALLERYCONVERSATION
 
Lydia Rwechungura
Tanzania
World YWCA
I got married in 2000 and became pregnant in 2001. In the second month of pregnancy, I attended an unfriendly antenatal clinic and was not convinced to test for HIV. In 2002, I gave birth to my daughter and breastfed her.
Since that day, my husband changed completely; he moved out of our bedroom and refused to eat the food I prepared. He told all of his relatives in Dar es Salaam that I was HIV positive, and that I knew my HIV status before and wanted to deliberately kill him.
My husband went on stigmatising me and then I became ill and was admitted to hospital. I was retested for my CD4 count and found out that I had only six CD4 cells. From the hospital, my relatives took me to the family house to care for me, but after a while my husband said he wanted me back home, as he too could take good care of me.
While in hospital, I recalled everything about my life and realised that instead of getting support, a woman can struggle at the hands of someone she loves. I thought if a young woman of my education who knows her rights can face stigma like this, what about those who are not educated, well off and do not know their rights? We women do not have the power to refuse sex when we do not want it.
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