I talked to a counselor prior to my blood extraction. The counselor asked me questions and explained to me everything I needed to know about HIV and how the government fights against the spread of HIV. I learned that once a person is found to be REACTIVE or HIV positive after an HIV test, that person is endorsed to a nongoverment organization (NGO) so he/she could receive lifetime anti-retroviral medicines FOR FREE. That is something not availed of by HIV positive individuals ages ago. The counselor assigned me a code number but couldn't give me a paper copy of the result. I told him that it was fine and what should matter to me is the result.
The next day, I went back to the testing center to get my result. It took me some time before the person who released the result informed me that I'm HIV free. When I signed the log sheet, I quickly scanned the entire paper. I found out that there were more than five persons who were tested positive with the virus. Two codes below mine, a capital "R" was written in red ink at the end of the row which means that person is HIV positive. I was delighted about my result but at the same time my elation was pulled back down by sadness. I felt very sad to those individuals infected with HIV recorded on that log sheet. I just can't imagine how they would react once they learned about their status. I feel terribly sad for them.
After I learned about my HIV status, I realized that this is my second life. After this point, I should know more on how to deal with my sexual needs. It's either I continue to practice safe sex or abstain.
(Photo from www.naacp.org.)