Although many people may believe that the worst part of the HIV/AIDS era is in the past, one brave young man has provided a timely reminder of the need for youth education regarding the disease.
Ruben Barba Aguirre recounted his personal story at a recent Ajijic Cares fundraiser.
“I started my sexual life when I was 15 years old. I didn’t know how to use a condom and I didn’t worry about STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases). When they mentioned AIDS, I thought, like so many other young people, that it was for older people.”
Barba only discovered that he was HIV positive after taking a routine test.
“Then comes the moment when you tell your parents,” he said. “When I told my mother, it was something simple like, ‘Remember when I went to take the HIV test? Well it came out positive.’ I didn’t know if it came from nerves or my being misinformed, but it sounded sort of like an anecdote. So, of course, my mother thought it was a joke until she realized it was true. And she cried as she had never before. My father was a totally different story – his prejudices and his stereotypes being apparent.”
Later, while surfing the web, Barba came across an ad from the Guadalajara group VIHAS DE VIDA, inviting young people to participate in promoting awareness about HIV/AIDS.
“I learned all about the virus and many other things that have been a very important part of my personal growth. Now, I have become part of the answer to HIV. I now collaborate with other young people so that together we can share information about AIDS.”
“There are groups, associations, foundations and people committed to the cause, who have shown that HIV is not synonymous with death, that people can get medication on time and be responsibly sexually active. Those who once believed that death from HIV was inevitable can see that we are succeeding through education and medicine.”
Ajijic Cares, with the support of VIHAS DE VIDA, is working to bring the same understanding of sexuality, hope and support to young people at Lakeside.