Granny, 73: My life with HIV

from the Trinidad Express

Carolyn Kissoon South Bureau

Great-grandmother, Cynthia Pascal, has been living with the deadly HIV virus for five years. And although her lifestyle has changed, Pascal has not allowed the virus to control her daily routine.

She still cares for her seven children, 16 grand children and six great grand children. And she is still an active member of the community church.

Pascal, 73, stood smiling before an audience at City Hall, Harris Promenade, San Fernando yesterday and spoke about living with the HIV virus.

"I did not know I had the virus. I was getting slimmer and slimmer and I thought it was my kidney. Doctors could not tell me what was happening until I collapsed one day and was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital. There I was diagnosed with the virus. AIDS is not a nice thing to be living with. But I did not allow it to control my life," she said.

Pascal, of Siparia, pleaded with youths to have only one sexual partner. "I want to warn young people to stick to one partner. Don't go jumping from here to there it does not pay," she said.

Pascal said the greatest pain for people with the virus was discrimination. "I have not really experienced discrimination, but I know what it can do -it can kill you," she said.

Pascal was speaking at a symposium hosted by the Ministry of Social Development to commemorate International Women's Day. The symposium was titled "Keeping the Promise: An Agenda for Action on Women and HIV".

Dr Amery Browne, Minister of Social Development, applauded Pascal, for speaking about living with the disease. "It is not easy to step forward and reveal one's status before a large national audience. Ms Pascal you are extremely courageous and you still have so much to contribute to our nation," he said.

The function was attended by Central and South staff of the ministry.

Browne said there were currently some 20,000 to 30,000 people in Trinidad and Tobago living with HIV. The majority of the new infections occur among individuals in their reproductive years, 15 to 44, he said. Browne added that national statistics also indicated that women account for 45 per cent of new HIV cases.

Browne challenged his staff to take on the responsibility to pass out information to the men and women of the nation. "As minister I will not tolerate any ill-treatment or hostility from my staff towards any persons living with HIV," he said.

Browne said researchers have found that the root causes of HIV/AIDS were violence, poverty, inequality and violations of economic, legal, educational and health rights.

He said if Trinidad and Tobago was to win the battle against the spread of HIV, the first step should be to show compassion for all those infected by HIV and Aids.