A short story
Ude, 34, Igbo man and HIV positive and is yet to disclose his status to persons that needs to know.
His friends three of them, unmarried, chop life gang and sexually active club every weekend.
“Ude, man up nah, beer chock o!”
“Ude, no fall our hands, take herbs, no go be 2 minutes man!”
“Try dey release, babes chock this night”
“Ude, that your babe fine, shey una done break-up? I wan run her even if na one night”
“Guy flex, no marry now, test them, compare their styles. There’s something about dark skinned girls…”
Words of encouragement from Ude’s friends. From time to time, he gives in. He takes his drugs, he misses at times, he drinks, he takes concussions, he has multiple sex partners, he looks healthy, of course he should, with all the Goat meat, but his viral load is unsuppressed.That is what non-disclosure can cause.
Friends and family are there to man us up, it’s their responsibility.
But what if his men knew his status, the story will be –
Ude, 34, Igbo man and HIV positive and have disclosed his status to persons that needs to know. His friends three of them, unmarried, chop life gang and sexually active club every weekend.
“Ude, try dey flex nah, we dey outside tonight!”
“Oya swallow your drugs, make we match outside. Oh sorry, you dey take am by 10pm. No worry, carry your dosage and come, we no dey leave you behind”
“Bar man, give this Jew man, Shawarma and Nutri-milk, one spoon of Hennessy will knock him out, abeg!”
“Ude, that your babe fine, I hope say una neva break-up?”
“Try settle down this December, Drinks on me!”
“Yeah, settle down with her, Wedding Car, on me!”
“Pampers on me…”
It’s easier said than done, I know. But the earlier we give our positive beneficiaries all the support they need to stay adherent the earlier we curtail the spread of HIV and AIDS. Being positive is not supposed to be a stigma magnetic, dramatic, Hi-Tech secretive news.
