Danish: Life Beyond HIV/AIDS, (Guna , MP)

Danish fainted when we told him he was HIV positive. Even after gaining consciousness he started crying profusely, almost begging to the almighty for his life. Our counselor had a hard time trying to convince him that all is not lost yet, and that with proper medication and a healthy diet, he can still have a long and satisfying life.

Danish, a truck driver, hails from Mehsana in Gujarat. He drives CNG Tankers from state to state, and in the course of his travels, often visits the GAIL plant at Guna. After the death of his first wife, he married again, fortunately to a woman who loved him as well as his kids from first marriage. Even while everything was falling into place, a sudden bout of viral fever spoiled the show. It took Danish two weeks to get out of a fever that usually takes three days to cure. Even after he recovered, he fell ill again. This continued for some time till Danish started having grave doubts about his health. During one of his visits to Vijaipur he shared his concerns with our peer educator who immediately referred him to our STI clinic.

The counselor took him into confidence and soon Danish started opening up to him. He shared with him the details of his extra-marital affairs with numerous women, including sex-workers. Most of these encounters were unsafe. The counselor smelt a rat. He convinced Danish to go for a HIV test. After much cajoling, he agreed, and was diagnosed with HIV AIDS. Suddenly, his world came crashing down.

A visit to our Guna Network of positive people helped him to regain composure. Danish has now promised to bring her wife for HIV testing, and has learnt about the precautions, medications and diet that he needs to follow. He says his newly acquired knowledge about ART and ICTC will go a long way in rebuilding his confidence. We are now waiting for him to return to us, so that we could decide on his next course of action.