“I work with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) community as a peer counsellor and HIV test provider. When I was starting out, it was hard to pull the LGBTQ community together and gain visibility in the city where they used to hide. AIDS Healthcare Foundation created a friendly space where they could feel safe. When my best friend was diagnosed with HIV, I was the one who conducted the test. It was stressful for both of us, especially as he was very aware of HIV and had been quite careful. We notified his 4 partners at the time. Only 1 refused to come for testing – later we found out that he was HIV-positive, but in denial. He was not on treatment and not practising safe sex. My friend went to another city for treatment to avoid disclosing in our hometown, which is very religious and conservative. The LGBTQ community is not accepted or understood in our town, and it is common for right-wing organizations to commit hate crimes defending “family values”. It was very important for us to maintain confidentiality and to prevent the disclosure of his HIV status, including within the local LGBTQ community. The community still has little awareness of HIV, although we are working on it every day.” -Nazar Tokar, 20, L’viv, Ukraine, peer-counsellor at AIDS Healthcare Foundation Checkpoint Communities of people living with HIV and community health workers have played a key role in the HIV response. On World AIDS Day 2019, WHO is highlighting the difference these communities are making to end the HIV epidemic while drawing global attention to the need for their broader engagement in strengthening primary health care. Listen to their stories on making the difference and changing lives
