A person living with HIV is today calling on the young sexually active people to have HIV tests and to take precautions now.
31-year-old Jokapeci Tuberi Cati said HIV numbers are growing around the world, including Fiji and young people need to take the lead in prevention and safe sex.
Cati recalled her experience 6 years ago when at the age of 25, she was asked by the health authorities if she could take a HIV test after attending some clinics. She never thought at that stage that she would ever have HIV.
She told Fijivillage that it all started when her husband Emosi got sick and had to be hospitalized for days. And as days went by, several tests were conducted.
When it was established that Emosi was HIV positive, the doctors then spoke to Cati. Her results were also positive.
Cati said she did not volunteer to have a test but she had to eventually take the test and found out that she had contracted the virus through marriage.
Here in Fiji, there are 271 reported HIV cases to date, with 12 new cases reported for the year 2008 alone.
239 of these people living with HIV are heterosexuals and according to latest Health Ministry statistics obtained by Fijivillage for 2008, there are 17 children aged 9 years or under living with HIV and 13 teenagers who are between 10 to 19 years.
Note that these are only the reported cases based on the voluntary HIV testing which had been conducted.
The numbers are definitely higher according to experts as there are thousands more unreported cases.
Cati also told Fijivillage that times are changing and people are realizing that HIV will continue to spread if people living with the virus do not join the fight to combat the disease.
6 years on after finding out that both her and her husband are HIV positive, Jokapeci Cati and Emosi are fighting the spread of the virus.
She said they are continuing the fight together and now have a family with the new medication and services available.
25 million have already died around the world after contracting HIV, 33 million people are still living with HIV and there are 7,000 new infections every day.
It’s Time To Act says Cati
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