Dear Editors,
I was born and raised in Addis
Ababa. I came to this country in 1985 to
achieve higher education and a good job -
the American dream. However, I
experienced a nightmare six years ago
when I was diagnosed as HIV-positive. I
had just turned 31. Around the same time,
while I was still in grief about my HIVpositive
status, one of my brothers died
of AIDS. I felt like there was nowhere to
go and no one to turn to, but I wouldn’t
give up my battle to live. I contracted the
virus from a woman I was dating. How
ironic when a lot of people still think you
have to be gay or a drug addict or
promiscuous to be infected with HIV/
AIDS. I am none of the above - neither
are some unfortunate children, innocent
wives and others who have contracted
HIV/AIDS.
In any case, you can imagine the
reaction I received from my friends and family when I broke the
news to them. This was not
the Solomon they knew or
wanted to know. Every
superstition, ignorance and
paranoia they harbored
came out when they learned
of my situation. Surprised? I
was not surprised. Were
they? Yes. I am healthylooking,
having taken more
than 40,000 pills in six
years with very little side
effects. I don’t drink or
smoke. I exercise and I abstain from sex.
Is there life after HIV? I am a LIVING
PROOF. Yet, there is still a stigma on
HIV/AIDS, which tends to isolate the
victims or incite fear of exposure.
So, not just for me but for all my
brothers and sisters who live under this
fear, I have started an HIV/AIDS Support
Group. This group is especially set-up for
Ethiopian-Americans who live with the
stigma of HIV/AIDS. Since there is a
large concentration of Ethiopians in
Washington, D.C. area, I have chosen this
city as home base for the group. This way,
anyone who needs testing, treatment, or
simply an opportunity to discuss the
physical and/or psychological aspects of
the disease with others in same situation
can do so in a group or private setting. It
is my hope that this will help alleviate
some of the depression, isolation, and
embarrassment that HIV-positive
individuals feel. I dream that one day we
will all be able to look HIV/AIDS straight in the face without prejudice - all of us
across the world. I can be reached at (206)
243-1448.
