I Got HIV: What’s next for me?

CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 23 September) — In 2016, Raffy Ardemil’s journey to an HIV diagnosis began with something else entirely.

“Sa akong X-ray they found out nga naa koy pneumonia ug TB,” she recalled. In just a month, her weight dropped from 55 kilos to 30. After three hospital transfers, she ended up at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC). There, a nurse counselor suggested an HIV test. The result came back positive.

At that time, Raffy’s condition had already progressed to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), co-infected with other conditions that had been earlier diagnosed in her.

Like many who have little knowledge of HIV and AIDS, she thought her life was about to end. Raffy could only hope an earlier intervention would be done.

From testing to treatment

With recent efforts from advocacy groups and the Department of Health (DOH) to battle the stigma, HIV treatment has been more accessible — far from what Raffy experienced. 

Community HIV outreach worker Shane Quigao explained there has been an improvement in the first steps after testing positive. Through the Rapid HIV Diagnostic Algorithm (RHIVDA), screening, confirmation, and counseling can all be completed in a day.

Within the week, doctors also check for co-infections, often TB or pneumonia, before starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). “Know your status, mintras healthy pa,” Quigao said. “There is life after HIV, and HIV is a manageable health condition.”

For many clients, starting ART early helps lower the viral load quickly. “As early as one year pwede naundetectable ang client,” added Nurse June Erika Obsioma, HIV Program Coordinator for Northern Mindanao.

^{A before-and-after photo of Raffy, PLHIV, showing his journey from battling illness to completing his studies. (Photo courtesy of Raffy Ardemil)}

While HIV remains to have no absolute cure, the healthcare workers emphasized that reaching out to HIV care facilities will help clients manage the virus to undetectable levels. This means they can no longer transmit it.

Currently, there are 14 HIV treatment hubs across the region, including two private facilities. Obsioma says ART medication and regular viral load testing are free of charge, though the private hospitals may have operational expenses.

Still, stigma prevents many from seeking care. Some fear being judged or that their families will find out.

Support groups

To address this, treatment hubs and outreach workers provide community-based screenings, self-testing kits with guidance from CBS motivators — peers who assist clients throughout the process. 

These services make testing and counseling more accessible, even after office hours, a problem many clients face.

Community support groups also play a crucial role. One of them, the Northern Mindanao AIDS Advocates (NORMAA), offers PLHIVs like Raffy a safe space to share experiences and find encouragement.

Raffy holds a sign outside a school food court in Cagayan de Oro City to raise awareness and challenge stigma against people living with HIV. (Photo courtesy of Raffy Ardemil)

For Raffy, support systems made all the difference. During her treatment at NMMC, she met “Tita Jackie,” an HIV advocate of NORMAA who visited her daily. “When I’m with them, I feel safe,” she said, sharing that the community helped her avoid negative thoughts.

With the right intervention, her three-month battle with TB and pneumonia was reduced to just two weeks of treatment and diagnosis, all because she got tested.

Raffy began ART, continued her care at home, and eventually returned to school as a 2nd-year college scholar at Golden Heritage Polytechnic College.

By 2017, she decided to disclose her HIV status publicly. “I saw the need for somebody to speak up,” she said in Cebuano. “Kani nga disclosure para sa akong blood brothers and sisters nga mahadlok” (This disclosure is for my blood brothers and sisters who are afraid), she said. 

Today, Raffy works as a case manager at the City Health Office, guiding others who are newly diagnosed. “Your status is confidential,” she affirmed.Other than providing direct services, her hope is that young people in the age group of 15 to 24, the most affected, will have more access to factual information. This way, stigma is reduced and health seeking behavior will increase. (Henniequel Shayne Acobo)