Gamora

Malawi

I am Gamora born in 1974 at Dedza District hospital. I am a lady with three sons. My husband passed away 20 years ago. I am a teacher by profession and Mchochoma is my home village TA kamenyagwaza Dedza.

It was a time when my husband left me and married a certain woman whose husband died after a long illness. The husband’s lady was a soldier at that time. When the lady came back home after her husband’s death was when she had love affairs with my husband since she was a business lady and my husband too. They were selling goods together in different areas. I did not know that there was a relationship between them. The lady was looking physically fit and at that time and blood testing was not compulsory.

I am sure and believe that it’s when we were infected with my husband. That time my husband didn’t use condoms when having sexual intercourse with this lady so to me it was a plain game. Later, we heard that the husband’s lady died because he was HIV positive. After realising that, he decided to end their relationship after staying there for a year and returned home.

This is how l was infected through this lady having multiple partner relationships with men. I had a tough life since l was worried that I can die and leave my kids alone. I decided to go for blood testing and was later diagnosed positive. After my positive results, I visited a health care provider who explained to me the benefits of HIV treatment and discussed ways to reduce the risk of passing HIV to others. I encountered numerous problems such as discrimination, losing social status, losing financial resources and role changes in the patterns of relationships. I was personally affected and I developed anxiety disorders, stress and suffering from depression. Some of the opportunistic infections affected me resulting in behaviour and thinking changes. This was the time when I could have easily lost my life.