By helping others I help myself
After finishing school Kristina entered State University and after studying economics for five years was married. Her husband had lived in the Ukraine for 14 years. The blushing bride didn’t see the need to be tested for HIV.
A year later their daughter Millena was born. Millena thrived until she was about 19 months old, but then issues with her health arose. What appeared to be teething-related symptoms turned into pneumonia – which soon after claimed her life.
“My daughter’s death was a profound shock for me. I didn\'t know how I was going to live. I blamed the doctors for not being able to save her. I was determined to find out the real cause of her death”, says the devastated mother.
Medical examinations confirmed she had contracted AIDS. “I was taken aback. At that moment I knew little about AIDS - only that it is fatal and can be transmitted through sexual intercourse. But I had never thought that children could be affected. I didn’t believe them, and I was ready to take the doctors to court”.
Kristina and her husband were tested for HIV and were diagnosed positive.
When I learned about my status, I was breathless; my heart seemed to stop beating. I could feel nothing \'\'When I learned about my status, I was breathless; my heart seemed to stop beating. I could feel nothing. Life was over for me. I knew I would die and would see my daughter soon.
I had such a strong feeling of shame, and couldn\'t imagine revealing my diagnosis to any of my relatives or friends. I felt disgusted with myself. I thought only women sex workers could have this disease. I knew people would fear, avoid and blame me.
My husband and I decided not to reveal our status. I started to hate him, as I was blaming him for all that happened to us\'\', says Kristina.
Today discrimination continues to be a major issue and challenge for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV). Laws protecting their rights are non-existent in one third of the world’s countries. As a result, self-discrimination exacerbates the difficulties for PLHIV and contributes to unemployment and isolation, as well as creating a serious obstacle for many preventive activities in this field.
“My health was getting worse day by day. I had almost the same symptoms as in my daughter\'s case. I was taken to hospital. I could hardly breathe. I felt alone, and didn\'t want to live. Death could be the only relief for me, I believed”, shares Kristina.
But Kristina’s family did rally around her and she started to receive antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which help to slow down the progress of AIDS.
In Armenia ARV therapy was not available until 2005 due to the high cost of medication and limited government funding for HIV and AIDS treatment.
Through the National Programme on HIV Prevention funded by the Global Fund, the provision of HIV medications and treatment for HIV and AIDS became a priority.
World Vision is a partner in the ARV initiative with the National Centre for AIDS Prevention and the Ministry of Health in Armenia in carrying out the procurement of ARV drugs. In addition to the purchase of ARV drugs, World Vision procured US$500,000 of medical equipment for a state-of-the-art testing laboratory at the National Centre for AIDS prevention, which provides a broad range of high quality testing services.
“ARV treatment works wonders; day by day I was getting better and blooming. After a while, to my great surprise, I started to recover; the doctors even told me I could go home,” shares Kristina, who has now been on treatment for the two years since her diagnosis.
Through the organisation ‘Real World, Real People’, Kristina met with PLHIV who were full of life and plans for the future. “I have realised that I am not alone in this world and life is not over, it can be real and full of joys despite my HIV status,’’ says Kristina.
I stopped thinking about my diagnosis, and started to think of myself as a healthy person who can make plans for the future and live to realise them ‘Real World, Real People’ was selected by World Vision to implement the project “Providing care and support to people living with HIV and AIDS”, which aims to improve the quality of life for PLHIV and to tackle stigma and discrimination through social, psychological and legal support, organising workshops, building networks and forming self-help groups.
“I stopped thinking about my diagnosis, and started to think of myself as a healthy person who can make plans for the future and live to realise them”, Kristina adds.
She became a volunteer with the organisation and went on to becoming a paid employee, now working in a monitoring and assessment department, delivering training on HIV and AIDS in remote regions, conducting self-helping groups, and providing consultations.
Kristina has spoken to many HIV positive women who have become pregnant and delivered healthy babies – instilling in her the desire to become a mother again.
Background information
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) classification, Armenia is a Low Prevalence Country in a concentrated phase of the HIV epidemic. The estimated number of people living with HIV in Armenia is about 2,800. Over the past two years the number of registered cases of HIV transmission through sexual intercourse has increased; almost all the women (98.4%) were infected through sexual contacts. As of December 2007, AIDS diagnosis was made to 210 patients with HIV, of whom 40 are women and six are children.
A year later their daughter Millena was born. Millena thrived until she was about 19 months old, but then issues with her health arose. What appeared to be teething-related symptoms turned into pneumonia – which soon after claimed her life.
“My daughter’s death was a profound shock for me. I didn\'t know how I was going to live. I blamed the doctors for not being able to save her. I was determined to find out the real cause of her death”, says the devastated mother.
Medical examinations confirmed she had contracted AIDS. “I was taken aback. At that moment I knew little about AIDS - only that it is fatal and can be transmitted through sexual intercourse. But I had never thought that children could be affected. I didn’t believe them, and I was ready to take the doctors to court”.
Kristina and her husband were tested for HIV and were diagnosed positive.
When I learned about my status, I was breathless; my heart seemed to stop beating. I could feel nothing \'\'When I learned about my status, I was breathless; my heart seemed to stop beating. I could feel nothing. Life was over for me. I knew I would die and would see my daughter soon.
I had such a strong feeling of shame, and couldn\'t imagine revealing my diagnosis to any of my relatives or friends. I felt disgusted with myself. I thought only women sex workers could have this disease. I knew people would fear, avoid and blame me.
My husband and I decided not to reveal our status. I started to hate him, as I was blaming him for all that happened to us\'\', says Kristina.
Today discrimination continues to be a major issue and challenge for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV). Laws protecting their rights are non-existent in one third of the world’s countries. As a result, self-discrimination exacerbates the difficulties for PLHIV and contributes to unemployment and isolation, as well as creating a serious obstacle for many preventive activities in this field.
“My health was getting worse day by day. I had almost the same symptoms as in my daughter\'s case. I was taken to hospital. I could hardly breathe. I felt alone, and didn\'t want to live. Death could be the only relief for me, I believed”, shares Kristina.
But Kristina’s family did rally around her and she started to receive antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which help to slow down the progress of AIDS.
In Armenia ARV therapy was not available until 2005 due to the high cost of medication and limited government funding for HIV and AIDS treatment.
Through the National Programme on HIV Prevention funded by the Global Fund, the provision of HIV medications and treatment for HIV and AIDS became a priority.
World Vision is a partner in the ARV initiative with the National Centre for AIDS Prevention and the Ministry of Health in Armenia in carrying out the procurement of ARV drugs. In addition to the purchase of ARV drugs, World Vision procured US$500,000 of medical equipment for a state-of-the-art testing laboratory at the National Centre for AIDS prevention, which provides a broad range of high quality testing services.
“ARV treatment works wonders; day by day I was getting better and blooming. After a while, to my great surprise, I started to recover; the doctors even told me I could go home,” shares Kristina, who has now been on treatment for the two years since her diagnosis.
Through the organisation ‘Real World, Real People’, Kristina met with PLHIV who were full of life and plans for the future. “I have realised that I am not alone in this world and life is not over, it can be real and full of joys despite my HIV status,’’ says Kristina.
I stopped thinking about my diagnosis, and started to think of myself as a healthy person who can make plans for the future and live to realise them ‘Real World, Real People’ was selected by World Vision to implement the project “Providing care and support to people living with HIV and AIDS”, which aims to improve the quality of life for PLHIV and to tackle stigma and discrimination through social, psychological and legal support, organising workshops, building networks and forming self-help groups.
“I stopped thinking about my diagnosis, and started to think of myself as a healthy person who can make plans for the future and live to realise them”, Kristina adds.
She became a volunteer with the organisation and went on to becoming a paid employee, now working in a monitoring and assessment department, delivering training on HIV and AIDS in remote regions, conducting self-helping groups, and providing consultations.
Kristina has spoken to many HIV positive women who have become pregnant and delivered healthy babies – instilling in her the desire to become a mother again.
Background information
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) classification, Armenia is a Low Prevalence Country in a concentrated phase of the HIV epidemic. The estimated number of people living with HIV in Armenia is about 2,800. Over the past two years the number of registered cases of HIV transmission through sexual intercourse has increased; almost all the women (98.4%) were infected through sexual contacts. As of December 2007, AIDS diagnosis was made to 210 patients with HIV, of whom 40 are women and six are children.
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