Falling for the Masterpiece

Prologue

IVAN

"The people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV are humans too and have to be treated with respect."

This was her first keypoint in her seminar. Mahigpit ang hawak niya sa mikropono. Tinitignan niya kami isa-isa. Nagtutubig ang mga mata niya na tila nagsusumamo na isapuso namin ang sinasabi niya.

"HIV is the virus and HIV infection is the condition of the HIV-infected person—they are two different things." She wanted us to know the difference between the virus and the infected individual. Tao lang sila na nagkaroon ng virus. Their condition should not define them. They smile, they laugh, they cry, they have every emotion. Most importantly, just like everyone else, they deserve to live too.

I'm in the Alzona Hall of a certain school in Intramuros. I did my research on how to best learn about HIV at may nakita akong taong higit na makakapagpaliwanag sa akin nito. I put on my simplest clothes at dumalo ako sa isa sa mga seminars niya.

Ang speaker namin ay si Miss Gloria Dilanganghel. Her last name suits her dahil sa kanyang adbokasiya para sa mga PLHIV or People Living with HIV. She has the right qualifications, medical background and advocacy to give these information.

Kanina pa ako nakaupo sa harapan ng audience. Matiyaga kong sinusulat ang mga sinasabi niya. Naka-on din ang recorder ko so that I would not miss anything. Her voice would echo from her microphone going around the entire Alzona Hall at sinugurado niyang naririnig siya hanggang sa likod. There's almost 500 of us listening to her.

"There are different modes of transmission of HIV. Unprotected sex, which is the most common, can be vaginal or anal sex. Oral sex is not common unless there is an open lesion, which may be an avenue for the virus to enter the host's body from infected blood or semen."

Iyon ay alam ko na. Kaya nga dapat laging gumagamit ng protection kapag nakikipag-sex.

A face suddenly popped in my mind. Mukha ng lalaking iyon. His luscious lips as he breathed heavily. His eyes gleeming from the afternoon sun in that garden. How he stared at me while telling me his truth. The way he showed me his reality. How lonely his universe must have been even before I met him.

Naalala ko iyong sinabi ko sa lalaking iyon matapos kaming sumayaw ng interpretative dance sa entablado. I think, I love you. Umiinit ang pisngi ko while taking notes.

Sinabon ako ni Kuya noong mag-viral ang dance video namin sa stage for that PE presentation. Buti na lang at hindi narinig sa video ang sinabi ko kundi mas malaking sakit ng ulo ang ibinigay ko sa kanya.

Muli akong nagtigilan nang marinig ko ulit ang boses ni Miss Gloria.

"Sharing of used needles, syringes, and other sharp objects or equipment shared by HIV- infected individuals is another cause," she continued. "Blood transfusion or organ transplant of infected donor to blood or organ recipient can also cause it."

Binabagalan niya ang pagsasalita dahil napansin ata niyang sinusulat ko ang lahat ng sinasabi niya.

"Also, vertical transmission, or mother-to-child transmission, can be transmitted through pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding."

Nalungkot ako sa sinabi niyang iyon. Pero Miss Gloria emphasized that PLHIV, male or female,can still have an HIV-negative baby as long as the HIV-infected parent has an undetected viral load by taking an uninterrupted Antiretroviral medications or ARV from the start of pregnancy to birth. It is also be important to note that both parents shall be taking ARV, can be as prophylaxis or treatment to maintain undetected viral load which is equal to being untransmissible.

Viral load is the term used para malaman kung ilan ang bilang or load ng HIV virus sa isang tao. The HIV viral load test is a blood test that measures the amount of HIV in a human blood sample.