HIV Travel Restrictions – Fright & prejudice

A couple of years ago, someone contacted me through this blog, because her friend, a 21yr old young man, was admitted to hospital for HIV-related complications. She was trying desperately to get help to save his life, but there was little to be done by that late stage. She told me he had not sought help early, despite KNOWing he was HIV positive, because he was Malaysian, and he needed to keep his job as a hairdresser in singapore . He didn’t want authorities to know his status and get deported back home, where he wouldn’t be able to face his family, and so he had refused to go to any doctors. Until he collapsed and had to be admitted into hospital, that is. 2 weeks later, he died.

Very recently, my friend told me about a friend of his, who got stopped at the immigration when he was trying to enter Singapore. This person had businesses and friends and family here, but he was a foreigner. So he cannot even come back to settle all this business. This made my friend very afraid, because my friend is a Malaysian who has been staying in Singapore for very long, with his job and friends and life here. He is afraid to go back to Malaysia to visit family, in case he cannot return. And he has planned, in the event he has to go to Malaysia to visit, to take enough money and be prepared for a scenario where he gets stopped at the immigration and is never allowed to return. The prospect of losing my friend and never seeing him again this way, saddens me. The fact that he has to live his life in fear this way, saddens me more.

 

 

In Singapore, the Immigration Act Subsection 8 includes in its list of prohibited immigrants, “any person suffering from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus”. Apparently “authorities justified the policy as being necessary to “safeguard the public health of Singaporeans” and to “prevent the import of cases of AIDS and HIV infection into Singapore where it can”.”(http://www.afa.org.sg/act/23/frame_keepingfamily.html )

Someone ignorant, fearful and prejudiced can quite easily believe that we have no choice, but to let some HIV positive non-citizens suffer, for the sake of the greater good. After all, in the early days of the HIV epidemic, many countries reacted the same way, and enacted travel restrictions against immigrants with HIV. However, over the years, evidence has showed that travel restrictions do NOT protect the local population at all. In fact, it can be counter-productive, when migrant workers fear to go for HIV tests , or fear to go for treatment after an anonymous HIV test (as with the young man who died from lack of treatment). This increases the population’s risk, because someone who is unaware of his/her HIV status, or untreated, may not take precautions with their partner (eg to prevent their wife from becoming “suspicious”). Their higher viral load makes them more likely to spread the infection to their partner.

Articles in medical journals have denounced travel restrictions, with headlines such as “Border restrictions and HIV / AIDS: a public health policy disaster.” ,and concluding that “border restrictions based on HIV testing are counter productive and impede efforts to contain the pandemic”. Way back in 1990, the Lancet declared “HIV and travel, no rationale for restrictions.”  Seldom do scientists and medical journals use such strong words, but in this case, they have chosen to. ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1978061 , http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12286989 )

Such evidence led countries like the USA and even China, to remove their travel restrictions against people who were HIV positive (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/united-states-ends-22-year-hiv-travel-ban/story?id=9482817#.ULYmmSpXvhI , http://www.aidsmap.com/China-repeals-its-HIV-travel-ban/page/1438602/ ). The UNAIDS has listed “Eliminate travel restrictions” as one of its key 2011 Political Declaration commitments.

 

 

A strategy that’s gaining support for its effectiveness is the “test and treat” strategy, where regular testing and early detection is encouraged, so that HIV infections can be treated aggressively before symptoms appear. Data showing that it slows or reverses the HIV infection rates, have been encouraging. (http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100224/full/4631006a.html ).  Both HIV testing and affordable, accessible treatment is important for this strategy to work.

In Singapore, we too have embraced HIV testing.  As World AIDS Day approaches, we have set for ourselves a goal of “walking towards zero infections, zero deaths, zero stigma and discrimination” (http://www.aidswalk.sg/ ), modelled after the global goal set out by the UNAIDS.

The Action For AIDS Be Positive video is very supportive and a good step toward eliminating stigma. It also encourages HIV testing, presumably for early treatment, so that people with HIV can live healthy, productive, happy lives, like anyone who has a well-managed chronic disease, so that we can move towards zero deaths.

Unfortunately, with the travel restrictions still enforced, not on the basis of evidence, compassion or effectiveness, but on the basis of ignorance, the truth is that many will be tested, not for treatment, but for deportation, or for a life of hiding and fear.

 

With a prejudice-driven policy of not subsidising HIV medications the way medications for other chronic diseases are subsidised, treatment after testing becomes compromised.

As long as such policies remain, AFA’s call to HIV testing and early treatment, no matter how compassionately done, will sadly continue to be seen as opportunities to pin the scarlet letter onto people living with HIV.

Formation of the Singapore Interfaith Network on Aids

“The Singapore Interfaith Network on Aids (SINA) was formed recently by an inter-religious group concerned with the issue of HIV/Aids. It has established links with of a cluster of similar networks and together form the Asian Network on Aids (AINA) with Dr Erlinda Senturias as Consultant. It works in collaboration with  the regional office of United Nations programme on Aids (UNAIDS) in Bangkok. These initiatives were made by the Rev Dr Yap Kim Hao, former Bishop of The Methodist Church in Malaysia and Singapore and General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia who attended the recent International Congress on Aids in Asia and Pacific (ICAAP) in Busan, Korea.
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SINA seeks to bring together those who are involved in providing faith-based services to people living with Aids in order to develop a more wholistic approach. Effective anti-retroviral medication are being supplied to needy Aids patients, counseling and support are given to them and their families and a shelter is provided for the homeless stricken with Aids. We can do more and we must do more. Appeals will be made especially to more religious people and institutions to address this public health issue which is a threat to all – regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. It has become a pandemic in our world and we are reminded of it on World Aids Day in December 1.SINA recognizes the urgent need of prevention of further spread of HIV through wider education including safe sex education in raising the consciousness of people. This HIV awareness will lead to caring for those who are afflicted, removing the stigma of the disease and eradicating discrimination of those with HIV/Aids.
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The Ministry of Health has given the following report:
“In 2012, another 441 Singapore residents were newly reported with HIV infection. About 91% of the new cases were males and 9% were females. This brings the total number of Singaporeans living with HIV to 4,485 as of end 2010. As at 31 Dec 2010, 2,319 are asymptomatic carriers, 1,137 have or have had Aids related illness and 1,389 have died…

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Of the 441 cases reported in 2010, 432 cases acquired the infection through the sexual route, with heterosexual transmission accounting for 52% of infections, homosexual transmission 37% and bisexual transmission 9%, intravenous drug use(4 cases) accounted for 1% of infections…
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Over half (55% of all new cases reported in 2010 were aged between 30 to 49. years of age. Approximately 62% were single, 29% were married and 7% were divorced or separated.”
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Our society has identified more than 4,485 people living with Aids now. They have been  tested positive and 54% are already at a late stage of infection when tested. Thousands more live in denial and even afraid to go for testing for fear of losing their jobs and home and separation from their families and friends.
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One such victim known only by the name of John lamented:”But my life changed when I was diagnosed as being HIV positive. I lost my job. With no income, I had to sell my flat to my siblings so that I could get some cash in hand to obtain treatment and HIV medication. My relationship with my family became strained when they found out about by HIV status. They chased me out of the house, the very same house in which we had all lived happily before. I had nowhere to go. I wandered around aimlessly and lived on the streets and beaches.” – John
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Jacinta Rajoo in drawing our attention to John in her article in The Catholic News questioned us:
“So why are HIV/AIDS sufferers treated with such disdain? Why are they dealt the double or triple blow of not only being afflicted by this disease but also the pain of losing both material and financial freedom, or worst of all, their emotional and social support? “

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It is generally known that Aids though contagious and incurable at the moment is just as death-threatening as other major diseases like cancer. With early detection and treatment people with Aids can live long and useful lives like the rest of us. We have the obligation to support and help one another.

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Hillary Clinton early this month reported that:
“AIDS has killed 30 million people around the world, and 34 million are living with HIV today. In Sub-Saharan Africa—where 60 percent of the people with HIV are women and girls—it left a generation of children to grow up without mothers and fathers or teachers. In some communities, the only growth industry was the funeral business.”

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She issued an appeal to Americans to usher in an Aids-free generation. This is a distinct possibility for all countries with the advance of medical science and social responsibility.

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The worldwide call of UNAids is to “Get Together to Zero” – Zero tolerance of new Infections, Zero tolerance of Aids-related Deaths, Zero tolerance of Stigmatization and Discrimination.

It is achievable. It can be done. Together we can do it.”

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– I received the above press release from Rev Yap today.

In Oct this year, I , as a volunteer with the group Explorations Into Faith, helped organise an Interfaith dialogue on Faith & the response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Hosted by Rev Gabriel Liew and the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, the formation of this network, some initiatives it could take up, were some items discussed. Oct’s dialogue also brought together many people interested in the area of Faith & HIV, whom I believe have become key contributors to the SINA. Am really happy that Rev Yap & the SINA members have taken the initiative to tap on the resources & large following of different religious groups to help people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Singapore.  While the much-needed material support like drugs, shelters, counselors, support groups can definitely be provided by NGOs, religious organizations quite “easily” once they put their minds to it, I hope that the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS can also be addressed. Hopefully, by engaging & educating religious leaders, their followers can also be influenced, since religious leaders are highly respected and believed here in Singapore.

If anyone has any interest in being part of the group, or if you know of anyone , or would like to recommend any of your religious leaders/staff (or even staff of religious schools), please feel free to contact me. If you know of anyone who can be helped by the Interfaith Network (not just for material support, by say, to speak with family members etc) , do contact me as well. There are people of all the major religious groups in Singapore within the SINA who would be most willing to help.

HIV/AIDS situation in Singapore – Sep2011

Inst of Policy Studies Sept2011 publication on the HIV/AIDS situation in Singapore.

“Concern for HIV as a personal risk and a threat to public health have declined over the years despite a worsening trend of HIV infection…. Former US Surgeon General, Dr Everett Koop said that HIV was ‘no longer on the public’s radar screen and the result is deadly serious’. His comments could apply to Singapore”

http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/ips/docs/enewsletter/Sep2011/ChunSer_Public%20Education%20and%20Outreach%2

Recommended film : Living With The Tiger

Would like to recommend an upcoming film in the Singapore International Film Festival

Living with the Tiger (www.livingwiththetiger.com )
is a real-life feature film about a group of innocent children that are paying a desperate price for the mistakes of others. They have all lost their parents; been born with a life-threatening disease, and most were cast aside to die by extended family. Yet, despite their predicament, they show a resilience and determination that has been inspiring audiences and changing attitudes.

The film-makers aim to raise awareness of the stigma surrounding HIV and the devastating effect it has on peoples lives.

The Nation newspaper said “it has such powerful important messages, it should be mandatory viewing”,  while Greg Lowe from CNNgo described it as “hugely empowering and uplifting”

If you have to miss this screening because you can’t make it, but would really really like to catch it, there’s another chance to do so, as there will be a screening on Monday 26th at NUS.

AIDS and Al-Jazeera?

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100407-0000079/mio-TV-drops-Al-Jazeera

Mio Drops Al-Jazeera

I received a comment that I thought I should highlight in a post of its own.

Not sure if you have seen this documentary on the poor treatment of AIDS sufferers in Singapore by Al Jeezera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYAaxoRISfM

One activist Stuart Koe went on to say that things are done underground, AIDS patients get their medicine through ‘buyers club’ and people work as ‘mules’ to bring the drugs in from developing countries.

Al Jeezera has been dropped by SingTel’s Mio so Singaporeans will not get to watch their reports anymore on TV.

The documentary was broadcasted on either 3 April or 4 April 2010….Al Jazeera was dropped by SingTel on 1 April so most Singaporeans did not get to see it.

Al Jazeera had previously made documentaries about poverty in Singapore and rampant prostitution & streetwalkers in Geylang.

(I haven’t verified the fact; if anyone would like to correct any factual errors, I’ll appreciate if you leave a comment doing so. Thanks!)

HIV — your REAL risk, Part II

HIV prevalence amongst Batam Sex Workers :  ~1 in 6

% Condom use amongst Sg men in Batam : ~ 3 in 10 (7 in 10 at risk!!!!)

% Condom use amongst Sg men abroad with sex workers in general : ~ 1 in 2

% Condom use amongst Sg men with local sex workers in general: ~8-9 in 10

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HIV prevalence amongst Bangkok MSM : 1 in 3

% Condom use amongst S’porean MSM with casual partners : 4 in 5
(http://www.msmsexsurvey.com 2009 Fridae.com MSM survey, see the results there)

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This ongoing Anonymous Asia Internet MSM Sex Survey will help  improve our understanding  of MSM behaviors   http://www.2010aimss.com/

Please help. Please ask your friends to help

“The results will give us critical information in understanding why HIV and other sexually transmitted infection rates are rising so quickly in our community, and help us design better programs for you.”
– 2010 AIMSS

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THis is a follow up from the previous article which gives more explanations . Please take a look. http://mathialee.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/hiv-knowing-your-real-risk/

See comments for Abstracts & Citations for the above info.

(I was doing some research as part of my routine work, and came across these figures. I nearly shit in my pants. It’s unethical to not tell. I just HAD to.  Underestimation of risk perception is a huge reason why people still engage in risky sex —- they think it doesn’t happen to them. Condoms are 99% safe. Russian roulette is 5 in 6 safe….. )

HIV – Knowing YOUR real risk

Lots of HIV figures you see in the newspapers are national averages. What you DON”T know, but SHOULD be looking at, are the rates amongst the sub-groups you are having sex with.

‘Cos by averaging the cases across the entire country’s huge population, the HIV rates looks less scary, the countries don’t look so bad. High risk sub-groups are where most of the HIV cases are concentrated in.

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Your risk :

In Asia, MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) are disproportionately affected by HIV. HIV prevalence amongst MSM in Bangkok estimated at 28%. If you went to Bangkok and had unprotected sex with 3  men who have sex with men, at least 1 of them could be HIV+.
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In Sg,  >90% of HIV+ are male.  1/4 these men are/were married. >90% females are/were married. (See diagram)

What does this mean?

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It means that if you (female or male, married or not) are having sex with a MSM, the statistics alone put you at much higher risk.

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If you’re having anal sex, (female or male), the biology puts you at a much higher risk.

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If you think you can get away by having a young girl or boy, that’s the stupidest assumption to ever make in your life. Yes, even if you’re straight.

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In Asian cities where the sex workers don’t ask for condoms, half of them can be HIV+. In Batam, 1 in 6 sex workers have HIV. And because people presume younger sex workers are less risky, more people go for the young ones. Hence, HIV prevalence amongst the teen sex workers can be MORE than DOUBLE that amongst those above 20yrs old.

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In Sg, ~50% the HIV infections detected only in the late stage. This means that there are probably many more HIV+ people who are very healthy, unaware of their status, and transmitting it if they’re having unprotected sex.

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That means you could unknowingly spread it to your wife, and by the time you fall ill, it’s been 5 years too late.

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Your life as a consequence

In Dec08, we thought HIV was going to be treated like any other chronic diseases, and generic drugs subsidised (http://mathialee.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/say-yes-to-aids-treatment-subsidies/ )

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( Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told The Straits Times he agreed with the view that HIV should be treated ‘like any chronic disease’. ‘The committee of experts will apply the same approach as they do when evaluating drugs for other diseases. We should not single out HIV for special treatment,’ he said. …..  Health Minister asked the Communicable Diseases Centre (CDC) to draw up a list of drugs that should be eligible for subsidies. http://app.mfa.gov.sg/pr/read_content.asp?View,11626,  Full Report in Comments)

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Over the weekend,  we learn that HIV treatments are NOT going to be subsidized. They can now be funded by Medifund.

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(Offering subsidies for all patients could “open a floodgate”, he noted. While previous media reports pointed to the ministry subsidising HIV medication, MOH told MediaCorp on Friday: “Minister Khaw Boon Wan and MOH did not commit in 2008 to subsidising HIV medication.” “Our stand in 2008 was that HIV should be considered like any other chronic disease when evaluating the suitability of providing subsidies for medications.” “MOH has chosen to use the Medifund route to more flexibly help HIV patients with their bills, including that for anti-retroviral drugs if needed. Doing so allows available funds to be focused to provide appropriate amounts of assistance to the most deserving cases.”  http://www.todayonline.com/Print/Singapore/EDC100116-0000124/Medifund-to-help-needy-Sporeans-who-require-HIV-treatment )

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This means that you still have to fork out ~$1200 of your salary each month for HIV treatments. That’s if you keep your job, because there are no laws protecting your job. It means that this (http://mathialee.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/living-with-hiv-in-singapore/ ) could still be your life. When you get to a desperately poor stage however, you can now use Medifund.  Or you can still go to Thailand to get 3-months supply at a time for $100-200 at anytime.

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What’s my point? What can you do?.

My point is that, please, just NEVER have unprotected sex. ALWAYS use a condom. Condoms are 99% protective, when used 100% of the time, correctly.

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Please remember, HIV is NOT like other Chronic Diseases (and will NOT be treated as one, in terms of subsidies too).

Why?

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One cigarette won’t give you lung cancer. One fatty MacDonald’s meal won’t give you a heart attack. One huge glass of coke won’t give you diabetes. You have to screw up again and again, over years and years, by smoking and eating/drinking unhealthily.  

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But HIV is different.

You can do the right thing 99.9% of the time. Use a condom 99% of the time. Be faithful 99% of the time. Probably even abstain 99% of the time.

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But just one slip-up. One mistake. One moment of carelessness when you were drunk.

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Just ONCE. And that’s enough. HIV infection is not something you accumulate through years of casual unsafe sex. It’s something you get in a single sex session.

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And for that you pay. You pay with your health, your dignity, and your finances. 

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While the guy next door who ate char kway teow for 50 years and now has a stroke lies in the C class ward with loads of subsidies and sympathy.  

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Life is not fair. The world is not fair. People are not fair.

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So don’t let yourself down. You’re the only one who can take care of yourself. Please stay safe, always use a condom (yes, 1 condom, not 2) .

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( I would love to ask you to help spread this message.  However, be warned: there will be people who will accuse you of encouraging homosexuality or a gay lifestyle or immorality.  Since male homosexuality is against the law, you may be accused of abetting a criminal act. You may lose your friends.)

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( Sources: WHO Best Practices publication “HIV and Men who have Sex with Men in Asia and the Pacific”.
-J Infect. 2006 Oct;53(4):255-9. Epub 2005 Dec 27.
-AIDS. 2000 Dec 1;14(17):2731-40.
- MOH http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/statistics.aspx?id=246 )

World AIDS Day

The other day, my best friend (yep, the one with my long-awaited god-child!!! =D ) looked at me in great frustration.

“What are you doing all this for? What’s the point? I don’t see why you have to offend half of Singapore, why can’t you just be normal and watch TV?! All these things that you activists do are just useless yelling — at the end of the day, the poor still remain poor, and you still go home to your air-con room!”

 

I gave her words serious thought, because this was someone who said this to me out of genuine concern rather than spite.

 

And because I gave it thought, I realised that all our yelling & offending, was NOT useless at the end of the day. It might take a lot longer to see results, than say, a teacher’s job or a doctor’s job. But there are results. The feminist movement that started in the 1800s offended lots of people too, and even today, it continues to. Yet the results 200 years after the feminist movement began is so stark and apparent. 

 

 Women today get to study and work, because of these feminists yellings 200 years ago. Think about your family (or the average family). Think about how much your family income comes from your mother, or daughter or sister. If you’re a working woman, think about how you can decide on how you want to spend your money and when, rather than how you need to beg your husband for money. It might have taken 200 years, but all that yelling was necessary, and useful.

 

 

Looking closer, at what we’re yelling about today, in Singapore, we also see the effectiveness of our yelling.

 

I’m talking in particular about activists for HIV Awareness and fair treatment, today being World AIDS Day.

 

In Singapore, we’ve come from a place where no subsidised treatment is given to HIV patients, to today, where MOH is deliberating which drugs to subsidise.http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_308873.html

 

We’ve come from a place of ignorance and prejudice, from moralistic uprighteousness,  to today, where HPB is addressing the myths and misconceptions. Where even HPB, a public non-religious agency, recognises the need for love and compassion http://www.loveamp.sg/default.aspx#/home

 

We’ve come from a place of riducule and voyeurism in the media, to a positive dignified campaign on Singapore Idol http://idol.mediacorptv.sg/loveamp.htm

 

 

We’re not 100% there yet, but we’re moving forward, our yelling is being heard, and we need to continue and perservere in our efforts. We need to aim for that 100%

 

 

In the words of my friend who, together with his wife, are infected with HIV and travel to Bangkok to get more affordable treatment

“ I am living a very good life now with the cheaper Anti Viral drugs,
I could actually forget about that I am even a sufferer but even that
I practiced safe sex with my wife.
I hope one day the government in Singapore consider us sufferers who work
and pay taxes to them and they in turn help us the way Thai Government do
and it is only a small percentage of us here compared in Thailand they have
over a Million sufferers and still the government was able to assist some way
or another to prevent many from dieing because they could not get the
expensive medication.”

 

PS. For people who need help with HIV treatment, subsidies are not yet available. However, there are financial support schemes made possible by generous individuals, so hope is not lost. The medical social workers at hospitals here are quite understanding and will help you. You can approach Action for Aids too www.afa.org.sg   Or you can write to me anonymously and I’ll try to link you up to people who can help.

Does the latest AIDS Vaccine work?

Recently,  in the field of HIV/AIDS research, a group of scientists announced that they have a vaccine strategy which was 30% effective.(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/health/research/25aids.html )

 

How did they arrive at 30% effective?

 

They had 2 groups of people. One group of people were given the vaccine, and another the placebo (a “fake vaccine”). These 2 groups (high risk people eg. prostitutes, were included in both groups)  then went about their normal daily lives for the next several years. After several years, the scientists realized that the number of HIV infected people in the Vaccine group was 30% less than the Placebo group.

 

Now, the question is: Is this vaccine a success or failure?

 

To the scientific community, as a scientist, I would hail this vaccine as a success, because for the first time in research history, we finally get a vaccine that prevented the disease in a significant number of people. Never before, has any of the previous AIDS vaccines worked to this extent. This  is a quantum leap that opens doors and sets our direction for future research. We can now study how this vaccine worked, and how we can make it better.

 

To the public health govt authorities, I would recommend this vaccine but with a lot of concerns and hesitation. If my country has 10,000 new HIV cases a year, and if I give this vaccine to everyone, I can save 3000 lives a year , and reduce the burden on society. However, if people thought they received the vaccine, they might engage in more risky behavior, and the infection rate might increase instead.

 

To the public ( & this is what I would tell the doctors as well (??)  ), I would actually say this vaccine is a failure. Because for any particular individual who receives the vaccine, a 30% reduction in risk means nothing — he/she is still vulnerable to infection, and his/her behavior should not change to become more risky. To tell the public that it is a success is dangerous.

 

And so, if anyone asked me, ‘Please tell me the truth, does this vaccine work? Is it a success or failure?’ I am unable to articulate an absolute truth. I would have to say “It depends, on your context, on who you are, on your objective” 

 

HIV testimony

I was recently diagnosis with HIV and Doctor think I could have got is long time ago and it just hide in my system even though I have a blood check few years back and it was negative.

 

 

I guess I got it from my previous girl friend whom I live with for over 5 years while I was in Thailand than for assignments.  I have never been engaged in unprotected sex other than my own partner and actually non at all since I was with her until we separate a couple of years back and I found another woman who really care about me and off course she is Thai and we finally got married.  Before that we have a HIV check and both shows negative.

 

 

Since I have discovered recently that I have HIV due to a illness of PCP, I have ask my wife to check and she too was Positive and both of us are now on antiviral drugs.  Fortunately, the hospital which I have admitted was kind enough to direct me to the source for buy the anti viral drugs which is well affordable for me even though expensive.

 

 

Since I will be migrating to Thailand in a few years time it was a blessing in disguise that in Thailand the antiviral drugs are cheaper than in Singapore by over 70% in some cases and there it is widely available in most hospitals and clinics at a fraction of the cost.

 

 

I feel that Singapore Government should do more to help HIV sufferers like me but even though I dont really need them since I go to Thailand often and can get the drugs cheaply. 

 

 

I feel you message to fight for the rights of living for HIV is very valid given that most other illness are just about life style especially your mentione of smoking which caused many complication like Lung Cancer and the subsidiy are there even though it is own cause.

 

 

I hope to hear more of your support of this nature and welcome your message to everyone that everybody deserved a second change in life.

 

Thanks,

 

Lawrence

 

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Mathia’s comments & reply:

This was a comment ( http://mathialee.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/subsidised-drugs-for-hiv-patients/#comment-1970 ) I received last night to my blog post

Subsidised drugs for HIV patients

 

I was incredibly touched, perhaps even emotionally overwhelmed, and I knew I couldn’t just let this be an obscure comment in an old post, which is why I’m putting it up here as a post of its own.

 

(Readers with access to other blogs or forums, may I ask that you post his letters there too? If you wish to write to Lawrence directly, you can email your email addresses privately to mathialee@yahoo.com and I will forward your email add to him. As blog admin, I can see the email add he left with his comment altho’ you can’t. )  

 

 

 

Lawrence,

Thank you so much for sharing such a personal story. I’m very sorry that you and your loved one have to deal with this condition.

 

Both of you do not deserve this. It is not your fault at all. Love is a beautiful thing, and that’s all you were giving and looking for in both your relationships. Within any relationship, all of us strive to trust our loved one wholeheartedly and completely. We seek such a person to trust, and when we find them, we trust them and strive to be trustworthy, out of love. Everyone does that, and you were no exception.  You did the most responsible thing you could do by not engaging in unprotected sex outside of a loving relationship, and you even did a HIV test before your marriage.  What happened was truly unfortunate.

 

Lawrence, please don’t lose hope. I’ve come to learn in life that unfortunate events may befall upon us, but it ourselves who can decide whether we want to be a victim or not.  I do not mean to discount the physical and emotional pain and suffering HIV causes, or the financial burden involved,  the unfairness of what you face and will continue to face.  

 

What I want to say is that, there is hope. In fact, there is more than hope. There are solutions.

 

Medical treatment today has made HIV a chronic condition like diabetes or hypertension. A person with HIV can expect to live another 40 years with today’s drugs, and medical treatment is just going to get better and this life expectancy will just increase. Medical treatment allows people with the condition to live, work, play just like all other people, with just a few lifestyle adjustments.  

 

But who does not need to make lifestyle adjustments these days? A person with diabetes needs to change his diet, take medication all his life, take precautions to prevent physical injury. Women are constantly dieting to look beautiful. An athlete makes immense sacrifices to control his activities and diets in order to do his job well. The financial cost for diabetic treatment, cosmetic upkeep, and sports training are not trivial either.

 

I really hope that you and your wife will stay strong and never succumb to the condition. The world is full of unfair policies and people. But there are people who do care, people who want to be your friend, people who will stand up for what’s right. And we stand with you, for you. So I really hope you will live on for each other, for love, for what’s good, and never give in to the forces that are unfairly trying to get us down.

 

 

Once again, I’m deeply touched and honoured that you have chosen to share your story here with me. I’d like to be a friend to you and your wife, I’d like to stay in touch and help you both if and where I can, if that’s what you both would like too.

 

 

Sincerely yours,

Mathia

 

PS. In case you’re not yet aware of the existing support programmes available here :    http://www.afa.org.sg/support.asp