By Robert Luckock
Gérald Guerdat is a 45-year old gay Frenchman based in Martinique and living with HIV. He works as a support coordinator for the AIDES Association’s Department Français d’Amerique (DFA) and is on a mission in the French Antilles to spread awareness about AIDS – in particular – to get a message across to the public that it is possible to lead a normal life if you are diagnosed as HIV positive.
He was recently in St. Martin talking to the media about how he copes with everyday life, the medications he takes, the importance of testing and prevention measures, and the stigma surrounding the disease. “I want to tell people with HIV not to be ashamed and to know that today you can look at yourself differently and live your life in a more positive way,” he says. “Working with the association allows me to understand my own condition better and has given me the confidence to talk about awareness and to advise people on prevention.”
Gérald has been living with HIV for about 20 years after he contracted the disease in the early 90s. The potent medications caused quite severe side effects in the beginning, but those side effects now are far less as the body gets accustomed to the change. But occasionally, he does suffer from vomiting, dizziness and diarrhoea. Today with the advances in medication, he takes just four pills a day, compared to the old days when a cocktail of up to 40 drugs a day treated the condition and the side effects. His medication is covered one hundred per cent by the French social security system. Without this insurance, the cost of his medication would be around €1,000 per month, he notes.
“I WAS 23 years old at the time living in France, doing some crazy stuff in the gay community,” he recalls. “When I saw people dying around me, I decided to get tested. But every time I did the test, it came up negative until the day it showed positive.” As for the stigma surrounding people affected with AIDS, he says he has never been discriminated against, or stigmatised, in general terms.
“I’ve been fortunate. I think it’s because of my personality. My family and friends have been very supportive. And once people know they can’t catch AIDS by shaking hands or sharing a cup, etc., that makes a difference.”
“THE ONLY difficulties I have had have been with dental surgeons. I have been refused treatment six times. They are scared because I have HIV and they don’t want their patients to know that they are treating someone with HIV and risk losing patients. But if rules and regulations concerning sterilisation of the instruments and utensils are followed, there isn’t a problem.”
The problem exists in Martinique and France, but he doesn’t know if there is discrimination from dentists in St. Martin. “This is one of the battles we are fighting,” he says. When Gérald was first diagnosed HIV positive, he was given three years to live. “Today the medication prolongs life considerably and I am still here after 20 years. The research is not only enabling people to live longer, but also helping them to have a better way of life. I’m in a stable relationship with my partner and can have sex without a condom because of the treatment I am taking. Professor Hirschel conducted a study of couples, one with HIV, the other without, and it showed you could have sex without a condom as the treatment protected the other partner.”
GÉRALD URGES people to not be afraid, do the test, and always use condoms. One should also test for Hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). “Because today you can live with HIV, it’s not an excuse to not get tested,” he stressed. “It’s so important to get tested. Especially if you don’t know the person you are having a sexual relationship with. Getting tested for HIV reduces the risk of infecting other people. If you are positive, the earlier you can get on the treatment, the better, while you are still strong. The later you leave it, the weaker you are.
“I also want people with HIV to come out and talk about it so people can understand it better. People need to change their mentality and perception of people with AIDS. And I hope one day we can get rid of the stigma.”
The AIDES Association in St. Martin is located in Concordia, Marigot, at Immeuble Jeffery (above US Imports). Phone: (0590) 27 65.23; Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Website: www.aides.org
