BY: Elfrida E F Kebe

In Sierra Leone, 81,000 people are living with HIV. About 22,000 of them are not taking their medication.

HIV is not a life sentence with treatment, people can live long, healthy, productive lives. But many hide their status because they are afraid of being judged, rejected, or gossiped about.

And here’s the truth:

Some people have HIV not because they “walk around” or “sleep around.”Some got it because the one they trusted most, a husband, wife, or partner, lied to them, betrayed them, and passed the virus to them.

Some got it through unsafe tools, medical equipment, or other accidents.Some are faithful and married, yet still living with HIV because their spouse gave it to them.

So stop calling people with HIV prostitutes.Stop assuming they are careless.Stop telling them they “deserved it.

”These judgments are not just cruel, they are dangerous.

They make people fear to speak up, fear to get tested, and fear to take their treatment. This silence allows HIV to spread and destroys lives.

We need to replace judgment with compassion, gossip with education, and fear with support.Every person living with HIV is someone’s child, sibling, parent, or friend.

They deserve dignity, care, and a chance to live without fear.Let’s build a Sierra Leone where no one has to hide to survive where health is a right, not a shame.