‘Beware affected rich people’

Affluent people who are HIV positive and undergoing treatment still look healthy and can lure uninfected people, particularly women, into promiscuous sex and, thus, pass on the deadly virus.The warning came from none other than the deputy chairman of the National AIDS Council board, Joseph Egu, a well-known person who has the virus and the head of People Living With Higher Aims Inc (PLWHA), an NGO for HIV-positive people who are involved in advocating care and awareness.

Mr Egu was speaking last Friday during a guest lecture to final-year health management degree students at Divine Word University.He told the students to be careful, particularly with affluent affected people undergoing treatment who could use their wealth to lure innocent young people, such as students, into promiscuous sex and pass on the deadly virus.

Karen Dunaway Gonzalez, a 13-year-old activist living with HIV, speaking at the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. She is a prominent AIDS activist in her native Honduras.

“Can anyone tell that I have the HIV in me?” he said. “No, you can’t. “I can walk out of here and convince the next woman for sex and she will not refuse.“When I drive down the road in a flashy car, flick out a het blong somare (K50) note and ask a girl to jump in the car, using the most convincing language, she is not going to refuse.“These (treated HIV-positive) people are out there at a nightclub and hotel (names withheld) in Madang – do not be fooled by their looks.”

Mr Egu said some of those undergoing treatment “were out there in the community, still engaged in promiscuous relationship”. He called on the students to refrain from sex until after marriage as a sure protection against HIV infection. He urged them to give priority to their studies, pointing out that their parents and relatives spent a lot of money on them to succeed and be better people.

Class captain Belinda Kabia applauded Mr Egu for his sincerity and hard work in his campaign against HIV/AIDS. Ms Kabia said it was the first time for her class to hear someone of Mr Egu’s status to come out and speak frankly, advising the students on ways to avoid getting the deadly disease. She said the students appreciated Mr Egu’s advice.

PLWHA was started by Mr Egu, who saw that the awareness campaign trends carried out by different advocacy groups did not effectively address problems caused by the spread of the disease.

He believed the real fight was to gather those living with HIV and encourage them to live positively and aim higher, just like unaffected people. PLWHA, established six months ago, has set up many sites in Madang. It has encouraged career professionals to volunteer in the fight against the spread of the disease.

Click here for more information about HIV/AIDS, awareness, and ways to get involved in Papua New Guinea

The article is from The National

*** Mr. Egu is right in pointing out this because I've seen this on numerous occasions in Mount Hagen last year when I was there for two months. Young girls just don't care where they end up when they see these old men mostly in their 6os in their flashy cars just picking up girls prearranged by so called friends known to themselves in various isolated spots.

Our lives are short and we got to enjoy our lives to the fullest. Contracting HIV/AIDS and dying at an early age is terrible and agonizing for our families, friends, communities, and the nation at large. In this modern age and time, we need to be careful with our lives not to engage our lives with immoral practices which will ruin our lives and ultimately lead us to death.

ALWAYS REMEMBER, that "Money is not the answer to all our problems". We have a brighter future ahead of us. Say no to sex and drugs and we should be on a right path and our dealings in life would be prosperous. Today is the time to SAY NO TO SEX AND DRUGS.