Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - September 9, 2007
He writes about why he chose to have an HIV test:
I have chosen to participate in leading this campaign at Stellenbosch University to set an example and emphasise the need for everyone to be tested - not only those who party every night.
HIV/Aids affects us all. It is not only an issue for those who live in big cities or townships, like some of us might think. You - or the person sitting next to you - could be infected or affected. There should be no stigma attached to being tested.
Sitting in the chair waiting for the needle prick is a real wake-up call. No matter how safe you felt before, you realise there is always a possibility that you might have been infected.
No one lives in a vacuum. We are all vulnerable to the world and all that is in it - the good and the bad.
If more people chose to take the test, I believe behaviour would change. It would be the beginning of a process of building an understanding of the complexity of the HIV/Aids problem and how it affects each one of us.
Choosing to be tested also gives me the courage to confront friends who are compromising their health through their conduct.
The five people I asked to take the test with me were chosen with all of this in mind.
I invited fellow SRC members - who as leaders on campus have an obligation to other students to challenge negative stigmas and stereotypes .
I also chose people who attend church with me. This is important to change perceptions about who is at risk. We cannot hide behind religion, but need to take the offensive and empower people to make the right choices.
And I have included friends and those close to me, who I believe have influence within their peer group and can use their position to hold significant conversations about the issue of HIV/Aids.
Students have a strong leadership role to play in dealing with HIV/Aids.
We have to take control. Each one of us has to play a part in fighting this pandemic - and it all starts with a single test.
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