Silence Breaker

By Gregory de Vries

HIV affects all sorts of people regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, social status, profession or background. People with HIV include our friends, families, neighbors, colleagues, leaders, even ourselves – you name it.
Unfortunately, because of ignorance, misinformation prejudice and fear, people with HIV must not only deal with the challenge of the virus but also with
discrimination just for being HIV positive.
Stigma around HIV promotes an unsafe environment for all of us. If we were more informed and more accepting of people with HIV, we would actually have a greater impact on reducing the spread of the virus. People would be encouraged to test for HIV and disclose their status without fear of rejection or discrimination. We all need to be willing to deal with HIV honestly and courageously, without blaming, degrading or isolating people with HIV. Let’s be there for each other, let’s break the silence with love and trust.
So if you need to talk, talk to someone you trust right away or call the People in Need office.
As you may have noticed, ‘Break the Silence’ has changed slightly, please let me know what you think.•