Maria
35 years old
St. Petersburg
Masha is a graphic designer. Until 2010 she has been taking injecting drugs, in that period she got infected. She has been living with HIV for 17 years.
“HIV will be over on me”, – I lived with this thought all that time and followed all safety measures. After finding out that I’m positive I’ve infected no one”.
However, she had not been getting the therapy until the moment when 120 immune cells left. When we asked why? She said that medicines associated with the beginning of the end. According to her, that happened because of lack of information.
Now Masha works as a director of the fund “Svecha” and works for charity. 5 years ago, she had a healthy baby. Lives with an HIV- negative partner.
Masha says that positive people are often rejected in medical support due to conceal reasons. “You don’t have a paper or space or special gloves”. She tells that some men left her when they got to know about her status. That she had her pregnancy terminated because of the recommendation of a doctor.
“A society accuses HIV- positive people, they feel their fault, a society sees that and keeps accusing. When you are out of this circle you are able to protect yourself and others”.
