“Why Are We Still Silent?” — The Hidden Truth About HIV Patients Not on Treatment
— New report shows more people living with HIV are skipping lifesaving meds, and no one’s talking about it.
-I’ll never forget the day I found out a close cousin was HIV positive.
She sat across from me at the kitchen table, eyes fixed on the grain of the wood, as though it could swallow her whole.
> “Don’t tell anyone,” she whispered.
That was three years ago. At first, she kept up with her antiretroviral therapy (ART). But lately… she’s stopped. “What’s the point?” she texted me one night. “I’m already dead inside.”
When I read the new report yesterday that revealed more HIV patients in Ghana are not on treatment, my heart sank — because suddenly, her story didn’t feel so rare.
-The Numbers Are Scary… But the Silence is Worse
The report says a growing number of people living with HIV are not accessing or staying on treatment.
We don’t talk about it much — we’d rather pat ourselves on the back for how much awareness we’ve “raised” over the years.
But here’s the reality: awareness doesn’t mean acceptance.
And in my experience, it’s the shame — not the virus — that kills people.
-What I’ve Noticed Lately…
People skip treatment for all sorts of reasons.
Some of them are heartbreaking.
The clinic is too far or too expensive.
The meds make them sick or weak.
They feel fine, so they stop — thinking it means they’re cured.
They’re scared someone in their family, church, workplace will find out.
They just… give up.
I’m not totally sure, but it seems like no one really checks in on them after they leave the clinic the first time. Like the whole system forgets they’re human beings trying to hold it together.
-The Stigma Is Still Real
We’ve come a long way, sure. People don’t talk about HIV like it’s a death sentence anymore — at least, not out loud.
But behind closed doors?
The judgment is still there.
The gossip still whispers.
So people hide. They skip appointments. They pretend they’re “fine.” And meanwhile, the virus quietly wrecks their immune systems and increases the risk of passing it on to others.
We all pay the price for that silence.
-But Here’s the Thing…
HIV isn’t what it used to be.
The meds work. People who stay on treatment can live full, long, healthy lives — and even have an undetectable viral load, which means they can’t pass it on.
So why aren’t we screaming that from the rooftops?
Why isn’t there more outreach? More support? More reminders that people with HIV deserve to live without shame?
-What Needs to Change
If you ask me:
Clinics should do more to follow up when people stop showing up.
Free, discreet delivery of meds should be an option — no long queues, no awkward stares.
We need more counseling services to help people cope with the diagnosis emotionally.
And for the rest of us? Stop the damn gossip. Show some compassion.
-Final Thought
I keep thinking about my cousin.
How she’s still here. How she still matters. How she deserves more than silence and side-eyes.
And I can’t help but wonder:
How many more lives could we save if we stopped treating HIV like a dirty little secret?
Because at the end of the day, the virus isn’t the only thing killing people — sometimes it’s the way we look at them.