SOME MEN AVOID HIV INFECTION

This is a personal story that I am becoming shy and ashamed to tell. I came to Papua New Guinea in 1993 after a 15 year involvement with the country and a broken marriage in Australia.

It was one of the bad errors of my life. But it has given me a role that will go with me to the grave in Papua New Guinea.

Seven years later, I had two daughters whose violent mother left us after two years. I was alone with no support and a consultancy company I was struggling to build.

I was given custody in National Court on the very day the aircraft hit the New York trade centre.

After a year, I found that a succession of haus meris (house maids) could not look after my children 24 hours a day. I was working as manager of a security firm.  So I looked for a mother for them.

Linda came to me and cared for us all. Life calmed down and I continued my consultancy company. She drew my children into her family. Life was good.

Within a year, she gave me a son.  She was always reluctant to go to the baby clinic and I never knew why. But within a fortnight of birth she was called to the private hospital to be told that she was HIV positive.

I struggled with both Linda and our son but Jonathan died of AIDS in 2002. Linda followed him in 2003. Her family is only now coming to terms with the fact that I did not infect her.

I assumed that I was HIV positive too and did not go for a test for another 12 months. To my amazement, I found that I was not infected. My night sweats were from fear not HIV infection.

There have been reports of men who have remained HIV negative while their wife was HIV positive. It comes down to only one possibility. The man was medically circumcised. Please click:

CONFUSION ON CIRCUMCISION

I was circumcised as a baby and remained safe. My penis had no infections that would open the symbolic door 2.

But that does not mean that circumcised men are safe and should not use a condom.

As a teacher of HIV/AIDS awareness, it is my duty to tell this story.

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