“It Is All in Your Mind”
Tebatso Moiketsi is a young man living with HIV from the Quthing District in the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho in southern Africa.
In 2018, Tebatso was suffering regularly from mouth ulcers. His mother knew that this symptom is sometimes linked to HIV, and she encouraged him to get tested. Accompanied by his mother for support, Tebatso went to hospital and was shocked to find that the HIV test came back positive. His family, including his mother and his four siblings, immediately responded with love and acceptance regardless of his status and health journey. With their support and the help of psychosocial support, Tebatso, too, was able to accept his status.
“I love life. My treatment is my life. I have never missed my appointments and never default on my treatment,” he explains.
Tebatso described himself as the man of the people liked by both girls and boys. Since his diagnosis he has served as a peer educator for two local organizations, one in the Quthing District soon after he was diagnosed, where he specifically counselled other men who have sex with men, and then another when he moved to Maseru (Lesotho’s capital) for college in 2020. In 2021 he left his role as a peer educator to focus on his studies in microfinance, hoping to graduate and become an accountant.
“I love life. My treatment is my life. I have never missed my appointments and never default on my treatment.”
Tebatso is open about living with HIV. After sharing with his family, he disclosed his status to his girlfriend at the time in Quthing. The girl was shocked and left him.
“I thought the girl did not love me all along and she was waiting for a reason to leave me. At that time, I did not care because my family was with me,” he says confidently.
When he moved to Maseru for his studies, Tebatso met another woman and they started dating. He disclosed his status to her at the initial stage of their relationship, and she accepted him the way he is, even though the girl is HIV-free. Now, he lives at the college where he shares accommodation with his fellow classmates.
“My roommates know that I take antiretroviral treatment; I could not hide because I take them daily,” he says.
Tebatso says that he never experienced any kind of discrimination at school or in his family.
He attends the Queen II Adolescent Corner. In December, the peer support group from the Corner goes for a picnic together to celebrate the holidays and one another.
“I always look forward to attending the peer support group because we learn to live healthy with HIV, and it is also entertaining and we go home very refreshed,” he says. “Queen II Adolescent Corner is the best because we get friendly services.”
Tebatso’s message to young people with HIV is that no one will accept you if you do not accept yourself—which means that “if you discriminate against yourself, others will also discriminate you; it is all in your mind.”
Makopano Letsatsi
Lesotho
Adolescent Identification, Care & Treatment; Key Populations