Personal story: Hamid

However difficult life is, we will face it together

Photo credit: ©iStock/Zanuck. Photos are used for illustrative purposes. They do not imply health status or behaviour.

Young black man against a green background smiling — Photo credit: ©iStock/Zanuck. Photos are used for illustrative purposes. They do not imply health status or behaviour.

"I was one of nine siblings; I remember always looking for more attention from my parents. At the age of 28 I got married. Soon we had our first baby. Everything was going well. Four years later we had our second son. He was healthy to begin with but on his first birthday he died.

During this time, I had been suffering from glandular tuberculosis, I got treatment and I recovered. After a few months I began to lose weight. I visited many doctors, had tests, and got a pile of reports. No disease was diagnosed. Finally, a doctor kept my file for a couple of days, studied it thoroughly and suggested that I have a confidential HIV test.

I went and got tested and after 15 days the devastating news was in my hand. The world then seemed meaningless.

I came home and told my wife. She is such a great woman - she gave me courage by saying, ‘However difficult life is, we will face it together’."

What we say

After he found out his status, Hamid felt his world had fallen apart. But it’s always better to know your status, so you can get on treatment if you need it and stay healthy. Talking to a trusted family member or friend can really help – and as Hamid found with his wife, their support can be a huge boost. Our Sharing your HIV status page has more information if you’re thinking about talking to others about your HIV status.

Do you have your own story to tell? Click the link to share it with us!

These personal stories have been submitted to us anonymously by individuals who use our site. Some of the stories have been edited for clarity purposes and names have been changed to protect identities.