PPlaying hide and seek with HIV is not the best foot forward.
A few days ago, I received an unexpected visit from a man I had last seen about three years ago.
He brought me a cock as a gift. As he handed it over, I asked if he was selling it and remarked on how healthy he looked.
The last time I had seen him, he had appeared frail and unwell.
To my surprise, he told me the gift was his way of thanking me for saving his life.
At first, I was puzzled. I could not recall ever doing anything of that magnitude for him. But as he shared his story, it all came back.
He reminded me of a day, years ago, when I had urged him to get tested for HIV.
He admitted that my suggestion had angered him so much that, in his own words, had he possessed a weapon at the time, he might have used it against me.
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However, his condition later worsened, and he eventually went for testing.
He was diagnosed HIV positive and immediately initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Today, he stands as a picture of good health—and a living testimony to the power of early testing and treatment.
He came back simply to say: “Thank you for saving my life.”
He is not the first, and certainly not the last, to express such gratitude.
Through my articles and conversations, many people have taken the brave step to get tested and start treatment.
Some send messages, others speak in person—but the message is always the same: awareness saves lives.
Yet, despite this, I continue to encounter a troubling reality.
In my travels—often at night, sharing rides with truck drivers and other passengers—I intentionally steer conversations toward HIV.
What I have discovered is deeply concerning: many people are living with HIV, but choose to hide their status, even from those closest to them.
This culture of secrecy is dangerous.
Some individuals go further, living recklessly while pretending to be HIV negative, thereby putting others at risk.
While it is every person’s right to keep their health status private, we must also confront a difficult truth: silence can cost lives.
HIV is not just a personal issue—it is a public health matter.
It is far easier to support and help someone who is open about their condition than someone who suffers in silence.
Openness encourages accountability, adherence to treatment, and emotional support—all of which are critical for living a long, healthy life.
I speak from personal experience.
My family and I have been open about our HIV status, and this transparency has been a source of strength.
It has helped us manage our health better and live positively.
The same can be said for members of the 22-year-old Mkoka Support Group in Gokwe, as well as our Same Status WhatsApp group.
Many of us have lived long, healthy lives with very few deaths over the years—largely because we chose honesty over denial.
This is not to say that going public is a cure, or that Aids does not claim lives.
But openness reduces the stress, fear, and isolation that often make the condition worse.
If people living with illnesses such as cancer, hypertension, and diabetes can speak openly about their conditions, why should HIV be treated differently?
It is time to normalise openness. It is time to take our medication without shame—even in public. It is time to reclaim our dignity.
Being HIV positive is not a moral failure. It does not define one’s worth or humanity.
Many who are HIV negative today are not necessarily more virtuous—circumstances simply differed.
And importantly, being HIV positive is not a death sentence.
We have attended countless funerals of people who were HIV negative. Life and death are not determined by HIV status alone.
So why hide?
If we did not hide while engaging in the behaviours that exposed us to HIV, what is the purpose of hiding after diagnosis?
Let us stop playing hide and seek with HIV. Let us choose courage over fear, truth over denial, and life over silence.
*Piason Maringwa is an HIV champion based in Gokwe South, who fights stigma, promotes treatment adherence and educates communities to improve the lives of people living with HIV. He can be reached on +263774322043
