Husband and two children unaffected
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Pramod Ningombam
Imphal, November 19 2010:
A HIV positive woman is leading a happy married life with her husband who HIV negative.
They have also got a daughter who has tested negative for HIV after death.
Babu (not the real name), a resident of Imphal east district a HIV positive widow Sandhya (real name omitted) around two year back.
Babu married Sandhya even though he knew that she is positive woman.
Babu and his daughter were negative of the dreaded virus and were leading a happy normal life sending a message that HIV positive women can lead a happy married life.
The couple, entered into a couple life after a love affair a year back.
Babu said that he met Sandhya in 2004 when he was working as office assistant at the Manipur Network of Positive People (MNP+).
Sandhya also joined the MNP+ at its Sugnu branch after her first husband died leaving behind a daughter.
They started knowing each other when Sandhya came to the head office at Imphal for official works.
At that time, Babu knew that she was a HIV positive widow, said Babu who is not HIV positive.
Despite knowing the facts, Babu stayed with Sandhya and together they started consultation with doctors and experts in the field of HIV and AIDS.
With the advice of taking the outmost precaution, they decided to marry in 2006.Sandhya's first daughter lives at Babu's house.
There were incidents of ill-treating or discriminating the couple by the local residents.
Not facing discriminations from the society, the couple credited the NGOs, authority of the state government and others working in the field of HIV/AIDS saying that the non-stop awareness programmes on the disease has brought them back into the society.
In order to maintain a normal life, the couple said that their only concern is to keep CD4 count of Sandhya's body as high as possible and viral load at the lowest.
They also maintained utmost care in relations as wife and husband.
They said that they were well aware of keeping HIV CD4 count high and viral load at the lowest, the transmission of virus is very low at the time of intimate relation and Sandhya gave birth to a daughter who was found negative to the HIV virus on September 14, 2009 .
Her husband and daughter are still negative to the dreaded virus, Sandhya proudly said that a HIV positive woman can have a child and that too free from the virus.
Dr Priyokumar, ART nodal officer at JN Hospital said that the chance of giving birth to an unaffected child by a positive woman is very low.
If necessary care is taken up during the pregnancy period the CD4 count and viral load of the woman can be well maintained.
The rate is 30 to 40 percent.
But it is very high for couples with HIV positive man.