Anniversaries always make me a bit jittery. Particularly this one. 3 years ago - to the day (14 March) - I was diagnosed with HIV. I will never forget the moment. It was a Saturday and I went to my GP to get some standard blood results back that I requested. After he said the blood cell and liver counts are off scale I intuitively knew that something serious was up. He recommended I have myself checked for HIV and Hepatitis. Which I did on the same day in a private clinic. My knees were wobbly when I went into the practice to have the HIV rapid test done. And I was shocked - but not surprised to get a poz result back.

Since that day lots has changed. Only 6 months later, I started treatment, and since then my health thankfully improved dramatically. Today - 3 years on - my health and lifestyle is as normal as can be expected. And what’s more important, I regained my inner strength and confidence.
But this is no time to be complacent. Despite all medical advances, HIV is no picnic. I realise that many of us are not doing so well after their diagnosis. At the same time, the number of new infections doesn’t seem to slow down much.

While government funding is under immense pressure and treatment is still quite costly.
A silver lining is perhaps the fact that for the first time people are seriously talking about the end of AIDS/HIV. And I do so hope that we will see this happening.