Nozibele Mayaba celebrates World AIDS Day [photos]
‘Today, I remember those that came before us’: HIV activist Nozibele Mayaba marked the 35th commemoration of World AIDS Day .
HIV/AIDS activist Nozibele Mayaba took to Instagram and marked the 35th commemoration of World AIDS Day on 1 December by sharing her thoughts about the stigma of living with the virus — she also shared that so much has changed over the years.
NOZIBELE MAYABA ON LIVING WITH HIV FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS
The popular HIV/ AIDS activist said she has been living with HIV for a decade. She also shared that before she came out, she lived with the virus in secret for over half of the decade due to the HIV/AIDS stigma at the time.
“I’ve been living positively with HIV for 10 years… Four years ago, I publicly disclosed my status to change just that. Suffering in silence for 6 years because I was afraid of what my family, friends, and the rest of my colleagues would say was unnecessary,” she said.
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“Today, I remember those that came before us. The unsung hero who fought tirelessly for moments like this,” she added.
According to the statistics recorded by the Department of Science and Innovation, 7.8 million South Africans out of the 59 million citizens were said to be living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2022. And, although the number may seem high, it is a huge decrease from their previous record. It was reported that the number had significantly decreased from 14 per cent to 12.7 per cent from 2017 to 2022.
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‘SO MUCH HAS CHANGED’: MORE ABOUT THE VIRUS IN 2023
The HIV/AIDS activist, Nozibele Mayaba and her husband recently welcomed their bundle of joy earlier this year. The beloved couple is taking social media by storm and changing the HIV/AIDS stigma with their unconventional dynamic.
“So much has changed. The development of antiretroviral drugs has significantly changed the perception of HIV/AIDS from a very fatal to a chronic and potentially manageable disease. An effective Prevention of Mother to Child Transmissions (PMTCT) programme requires mothers and their babies to receive antenatal services and HIV testing during pregnancy, have access to antiretroviral treatment (ART), practice safe childbirth practices and appropriate infant feeding, and make use of infant HIV testing and other post-natal healthcare services,” Mayaba shared.
“PrEP, otherwise known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a medication that can help prevent HIV. Using PrEP can lower your chances of getting HIV from sex by up to 99%… All these medical advancements have contributed to how to see HIV in 2023,” she added.
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