Interview 36

He accesses African support groups, and this helps to relieve the boredom and stress of being ‘stuck’ while his immigration status is sorted out. He is currently taking efavirenz and Combivir, and has a low viral load. (Video and audio clips read by an actor.)

Age at interview: 40

Age at diagnosis: 35

Sex: Male

Background: A black African man, 40 years-old, who was discovered to be HIV positive after he became ill while visiting the UK.

Outline:A black African man, 40 years-old, who was discovered to be HIV positive after he became ill while visiting the UK. Being ill and hospitalised meant that he overstayed his visa. His family is back home, and while he did not originally intend to stay in the UK, his believes he will not get access to medication if he returns. He accesses African support groups, and this provides him with much needed support including friends, activities, and training. Such networks have helped to relieve the boredom and stress of being ‘stuck’ while his immigration status is sorted out. He is currently taking efavirenz and Combivir, and has a low viral load and 330 CD4 cells.

(Video and audio clips read by an actor.)

Talks about how he encouraged another African man to attend an African support group. (Read by an…

Age at interview 40

Gender Male

Age at diagnosis 35

When I went to the hospital I found one guy who had been diagnosed. Me at first I was thinking that hes all mad, he has run mad. Anyway, when he was approaching to me, I used to take some steps back, you know, because to me I was, I, I was thinking that hes mental…

He said… and he said to me that… now, ‘I wanted these, these doctors it seems they are notthey don’t know what they are supposed to do. Now they are saying to me now I’m HIV positive. He couldn’t, him, he couldn’t trust the doctors, and he couldn’t believe hes HIV positive.

‘Cool down my friend, I said. ‘Calm down. You see me here, I’m HIV positive. He started anyway looking to me from… ‘Are you?’ he said. ‘Yes, I said. ‘OK, he said. Now I said, ‘If you want to get another advice, I can take you to another place where you can get more advice. He said, ‘What is your telephone number?’ I gave it to him.

Then, by then we are stillwe had a African day, it was every Saturday in this little place. I brought him here to the place. Many people, very many there, he said to me, ‘Are all theseare all people here HIV positive?’ ‘Yes, I said. He said… he said, ‘Are you sure?’ I started taking him all around these places… this one, that one. He started anyway reading, reading, more reading. And now anyway he, now henow hes grown in confidence. We are all friends now. All friends.

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