HELP WITH DEALING WITH STIGMA

HELLO, my name is ketia, my best friend has full blown AIDs and people keep telling me that i should stay away from her and i shouldnt eat from her or sleep in the same bed as her but i dont think that i should and a lot of my friends have stopped talkin gto me becuz of this. in my own opinion i think if they want to astop being my friends i dont care becuz she is my friend and we have been thru alot together as friends and i  dont want to loose her friendship, plus she needs me more than ever before now. i dont know what to do. please help me

[Joqhua]

Ketia you're friend has a terrible virus and I am very sorry to hear that, but you're friends should probably do some research on the virus before coming up with all these stupid excuses .   They can not catch or you for that matter Aids/Hiv by sleeping with her or sitting next to her, shaking her hand , kissing her unless there are cuts in her mouth.  You can't get it from sharing the same cup or eating utensils,  The only way you can get is if you have unprotected sex with that person or blood gets into an open wound and into your system .

You're friend has full blown aids which depending on how long she has had it and if she is on her meds and such who knows how long she has .  You say she is your friend and you shouldn't completely being her friend because your other friends think its contagious just by being by her .  She has accepted the virus I am sure but if you leave her when she needs you more than most well she will die that much quicker .

If I had a friend with Hiv or Aid I wouldn't care i would hangout with them like anyone else , You should have to becareful to not be doing anything rough where her blood somehow gets into yours or sexual contact.  be there for your friend and explain to your friends that if they really are your friend that they will respect you for your descions and be there for you for it .   If they can't accept it then they aren't your friends at all .

Be strong , show them that she is a regular person like everyone else , she has all the body parts as them , there is nothing really different about her .  I give you props for sticking with her and i seriously think you should stick with her and be there for her .  Because like i said if you don't she will not only be depressed but die that much faster .  

[cmoretti]

Stigma is caused by ignorance and nothing else. People fear what they don't know. The only way to change that is to educate them! If they won't listen to you, go to a clinic and pick up pamphlets or go to a medical website. The CDC website is really one they can't say is made up! Ask them if they have EVER had unprotected sex and if they have ever been tested. Fact is, you can't get it from being a friend, saliva, sweat or anything else unless you are really trying! Yet, one time of unprotected sex, no matter how much you know the person, is the biggest risk you can take.