For the first time today, five Bhutanese living with HIV came out in the open to talk freely and frankly about the trauma of living with HIV.
Early this morning, Wangda Dorji, one of the five people, spoke to a gathering of students, officials, and parliamentarians at the YDF hall.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck who was also present at the occasion stood up and applauded Wangda’s courage.
Wangda spoke about how he was infected, how he discovered that he was HIV positive and how he struggled to come to terms with it.
He also talked about the support and counseling he received and how it helped him accept the fact that he is HIV positive.
Later during the day, Wangda was joined by four other Bhutanese living with HIV in a live discussion on BBS radio. In the evening, they appeared on BBS TV to share their stories.
Wangda discovered that he was HIV positive in 2006 after his wife who was pregnant went for a health check up. His wife is also HIV positive, infected by him.
“I took drugs to forget my pain. I started by smoking, then I took marijuana and slowly I started taking tablets. I became an addict and for about seven to eight years I used injection. I didn’t know whether it was day or night. I didn’t even know that sharing needles can spread HIV.”
Initially, Wangda and his wife didn’t tell anybody. But after he fell seriously sick once, they decided to tell their family members and close friends. He and his wife did not suffer any discrimination. The others however weren’t as lucky.
They are aware that by coming out in the open, they and their family members could be discriminated against.
“We are doing this firstly to get our message across to all the people living with HIV in every nook and corner of the country.
“We know the consequences that our children, family and relatives will face for coming out in the public. We are doing it because the benefit to the nation far outweighs the personal considerations.”
So far, health officials have detected 270 people with HIV.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother said the figure may not appear alarming but the epidemic is not about statistics. It is about people, about families and communities.
She said behind the statistics are stories of human pain and suffering resulting from a disease that still has no cure but which can be prevented.
“I recommend zero discrimination because stigma and discrimination inflict pain and alienation and challenge the delivery and uptake of services.
“Fear of unfair treatment may discourage individuals from contacting health and social service providers, thereby increasing the risk of transmission to partners or children.”
Her Majesty said no nation can alleviate the impact of HIV without embracing those infected by the virus.
As of now, there are 207 Bhutanese living with HIV.
