Fiji's HIV crisis killed 18 babies last year, as social stigma fuels national emergency
A young woman in Fiji shares her experience living with HIV while pregnant, highlighting the critical role of antiretroviral medication in preventing mother-to-child transmission. The article underscores a broader national health crisis in Fiji, where social stigma continues to hinder effective management of the virus.
Why it matters
It sheds light on the intersection of public health, social stigma, and maternal care in the Pacific, emphasizing how medical intervention can successfully prevent transmission despite systemic challenges.
Bernadetta* tested positive for HIV after noticing weight loss and boils that wouldn't go away. ( ABC News )
Link copied Share Share article Berenadeta* was 23 when she tested positive for HIV.
She had lost weight and discovered boils that wouldn't go away.
She suspected she'd picked up an infection, one that was likely sexually transmitted.
Her father told her not to panic, suggesting she visit the sexual health clinic near where she lived.
"They tested me three times, and all came up positive," she said.
But the same visit uncovered something else she didn't know — she was three months pregnant.
Berenadeta found out she was three months pregnant on the same visit she tested positive for HIV. ( ABC News )
Her partner, who was also HIV-positive, had been on tablets to suppress the virus, but had stopped taking them and hadn't told her.
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