Avni (name changed for anonymity) is a forty-year-old empowered HIV+ woman currently employed in the position of community coordinator with an ART (anti-retroviral therapy) facility. She was able to transform from a bias and social stigma victim (on account of her status as an HIV+ individual) to her current self because of her resolve and the social assistance of a medico-social work organization (Kushwaha & Kumkar, 2012). Born on December 10, 1977 in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Avni was the only daughter of an agrarian family. She never knew her father, who passed away of an unfortunate accident just weeks after her birth. She was condemned by all, even her mom, as having brought misfortune to their family. Her widowed mother was forced to leave her deceased husband's home and make a home for herself elsewhere. Avni grew up ignored, scorned, and constantly reprimanded by her mother for an unending number of faults. She had to perform all household tasks and work at the family's fields as well, where she was subject to sexual abuse by a farmhand at the age of 10 (Kushwaha & Kumkar, 2012).

In spite of her shockingly desolate childhood, Avni wasn't deterred from her dream of completing basic schooling up to senior high at least, against her mom's wishes and unlike most of her village's other girls who often dropped out of school at the primary level. She wished to earn her own livelihood, become financially stable and prove to her community that she wasn't as ill-omened as she was made out to be. She never strayed from her staunch belief that everyone creates their own destiny. In spite of her reluctance and strong opposition to getting married early (she wished to pursue higher education), Avni was forcibly married off to a farmhand, at age 18. As she was only an average-looking girl, her husband largely ignored her and often cheated on her with better looking women, a habit of his she had no hopes of changing (Kushwaha & Kumkar, 2012).

Psychosocial Information

Some months into her wedding,...

The result came back positive, for Avni as well as her husband. Avni was shattered to have contracted the disease for no fault of hers. The couple was afraid of being discriminated and stigmatized and decided not to reveal their problem to kith and kin. However, in spite of their HIV+ status, the couple decided to start a family, owing to familial and social pressures and their ignorance of the fact that their child may also be born HIV+. Avni's first pregnancy ended in a stillbirth. In the course of her next pregnancy, she found out midway that the child could be HIV+ as well. But she was almost certain God wouldn't inflict such a horrid disease on an innocent child. The child born was, indeed, HIV-negative (Kushwaha & Kumkar, 2012).
She gave birth to yet another HIV-negative child a couple of years later. Shortly after she conceived for the fourth time, her husband's health deteriorated and the society ultimately got to know of their condition. He was treated, although unsuccessfully, for some months and succumbed to the disease a few days after the birth of their third child. At the time of her third delivery, owing to knowledge of her HIV status, hospital authorities tended to her separately. The newly born child was administered nevirapine at the time of birth. Fortunately for Avni, all her children (three daughters) were born HIV-negative. Her parents-in-law were convinced it was Avni who first contracted the disease and transmitted to it to their son, whom they believed, contrary to the actual truth, to be an honorable and faithful husband. The widowed Avni was ostracized and left to raise three children alone, without the support of society or her family (Kushwaha & Kumkar, 2012).

1. When did you first receive your HIV+ diagnosis?

I was married in the year 1995. Some months into my wedding, I began to fall ill continuously and was recommended to take an HIV test. The result came back positive, for me as well as my husband. I was shattered to have contracted the disease for no fault of mine. We were afraid of being discriminated and stigmatized and decided not to reveal our problem to kith and kin.

2. What knowledge did you possess regarding HIV at the time of your diagnosis?

All I knew was that if the society became aware of my condition, they would ostracize me. In spite of our HIV+ status, we decided to start a…