Tunisia
HIV and gay in Tunisia: A
twin taboo
07 Mar 2008-
Tunis, Tunisia - Homosexual men living with HIV/AIDS In the Arab world
face a twin taboo, but Karim doesn't look like someone burdened by
stigma.
Smiling and
self-assured, the healthy looking Tunisian says his peace of mind comes
from accepting what he cannot change, living in the moment and taking
care to present a normal face to the world.
The 34-year-old
draws the menace from his infection by seeing it as his offspring.
"Personally, I
accept the illness. I consider the virus my little baby. Together, we
make up the same person," he said.
Dressed in
jeans and a V-neck pullover, Karim sounds matter-of-act about his
condition, but acknowledges that it wasn't always so easy.
Karim first
learned he had HIV when he returned to his native country from France in
2005. He was infected during an eight-year relationship with a French
man.
"First, I
thought I had flu. But my health kept worsening and analysis showed I
had AIDS. A person who was so important to me had infected me," he said.
"I WAS FURIOUS"
"At the
beginning, I was furious. I hated everything. But afterwards, I thought
that it's better to be hopeful than crying."
He decided to
face up to the illness, sensing that a positive mental attitude would
translate into stronger physical health. Also, he is on anti-retroviral
medication.
"I'm quite
good. My health situation is stable. HIV-positives who can't move or
even walk are people who refuse the fact that they're infected with HIV.
They suffer because they're in very low spirits and not because of the
virus."
"I have a
principle in my life which says we must make the most of life while we
still have its advantages. So, I still enjoy my life. I consider AIDS a
flu."
He lives with
his Tunisian boyfriend, who is uninfected. They have protected sex.
"I was sincere.
I told him the truth and he accepted. His attitude really moved me,"
said Karim.
"ENJOY THE
MOMENT"
Unlike most
Tunisians, Karim refuses to draw up plans for his future, even in the
short-term, as he doesn't know when AIDS will bring his life to an end.
"I can't do
long-term projects. I can't even plan for the summer holidays. I think
just about what I can do in the next week and enjoy the moment."
HIV/AIDS is a
common topic of conversation widely discussed in many Western countries.
But it is still an invisible disease in north Africa and many other
parts of the world.
Karim, one of
1,428 Tunisians who live with HIV, has learnt to keep his status a
tightly guarded secret in a society where fear, prejudice and ignorance
about the disease prevail.
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