What is the average day like for a young person living with HIV? Is it different from Africa to the US? CAS editor, Dwain Lucktung, finds out as he watches ‘Me Myself & HIV’; an inspirational short film by MTV Staying Alive for World AIDS Day…

How simple can life be for someone living with HIV? Can you imagine them - the ones with the virus - clubbing, getting tattoos, dating, kissing…?

The answer is very, very simple.

MTV Staying Alive (a HIV awareness initiative) have produced an enlightening short film for World AIDS Day (December 1) which follows two very normal young people, two worlds apart, but both living fulfilled lives despite their HIV positive status.

"People need to understand I’m just an average 25 year old girl"

HIV doesn’t need to a doom and gloom subject – and ‘Me Myself & HIV’ proves that; as we witness 25 year old all-American Minneapolis sweetheart, Angelikah, and aspiring 21 year old Zambian DJ/music artist, Slim, going through all the life challenges we might go through (but they just so happen to have HIV).

Angelikah parties hard, goes to university, has a HIV negative boyfriend (and they do ‘everything and more’ apparently) – admittedly she states “It’s definitely harder to get closer to people with HIV… a lot would see it as a deal-breaker from the beginning”, but that doesn’t stop her and Taylor having a flourishing relationship. They go hand in hand to get Angelikah’s tattoo, a West African symbol that represents “someone who has gone through a lot of crap but come through the other side.” How appropriate for a young woman who insists, ““People need to understand I’m just an average 25 year old girl.”

Ladies - can you sympathise?

Same question to the lads. Look at Slim. He’s the Lusaka boy driving for a record deal, trying to get a girlfriend – a familiar story for some? There’s a few minor differences perhaps - Slim found out he was HIV positive when he was 15; not an easy skeleton in the closet for a young Zambian kid who claims “It’s difficult when you’re (HIV) positive trying to find a girl who will accept you for who you are…”

Nevertheless, like Angelikah, Slim chases his own dreams, and we see him travel from a HIV clinic, to a record label studio, to a nerve-racking date with HIV negative Carol…

"There’s one thing about HIV, it only has people’s body, but it doesn’t have their minds… feelings, and their heart"

Happy ending? I’ll say no more – but one of Carol’s comments depicts how far we have come, and can go to defeating HIV stigma: “There’s one thing about HIV, it only has people’s body, but it doesn’t have their minds… feelings, and their heart.”

Of course it’s not all roses and Zambian sunshine – HIV delivers some grim realities; both Angelikah and Slim will have to take pills every day for the rest of their lives. And they are two of many, as in Slim’s country, 7% of young people aged 15-24 are living with HIV (with 160 new infections of HIV every day), whilst in the US, every nine and a half minutes someone is infected with HIV (half of those infected are under the age 24).

And we do see tears and deep contemplation, as the HIV duo reminisces over how they contracted the virus, how they dealt with it, the difficulties hindering their openness about it with their friends, families and communities…

Yet the conclusion I drew from the film was not that of a clear cut silver lining, but the lifeline of normality and hope that can be achieved despite of the virus. We can kill stigma, we can be positive about being HIV positive, and Slim and Angelikah are ambassadors for that ethos; gaining perspective, a purpose and a drive to live her dreams - “HIV saved my life” as Angelikah says.

Words: Dwain Lucktung

ACTION!

Now, on World AIDS Day, there loads you can do to leave your mark on HIV justice. Take the testing pledge here. Tweet #MTVGetTested on Twitter, or join the discussion on www.facebook.com/mtvstaying alivecampaign.

Another HIV-related short film to watch is Ctrl.Alt.Shift’s very own satirical short film that stares the virus in the eye and laughs at how ridiculous the stigma is. Click here to watch HIV: The Musical.

And you can also join the UNAIDS Twitter initiative; just add #PreventionRevolution to your Tweets and inspire young people on social networking sites to find out more about HIV prevention.