A dating agency has been started in Zimbabwe about two moths ago, with the goal of helping the ones that carry the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in finding love and a partner to share sad and happy moments with. The whole idea of the agency came from a woman - herself infected - that has noticed that the HIV and AIDS patients have no chance to survive and lead a normal life (or what's left of it) in a world full of prejudices
and partiality.
"It's almost like an us and them, there's an assumption that you're negative, so go and get tested so that you can keep yourself safe from those positive people. I challenged the last date that I had who left me when I disclosed my status. I asked him whether he would have been comfortable having sexual relations with me using a condom, had I not disclosed. He said yes, he would have, so I asked him what the difference is in using a condom to prevent HIV transmission when you know the person's status," Luta Shaba, founder of the agency told BBC News.
About 20% of Zimbabwean population is infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the United Nations report show. Luta Shaba founded the agency with high hopes of reaching a hand to people that are socially marginalized, exactly like her. She states that HIV positive individuals should not be left behind by healthy people.
Usually, persons that do not suffer from severe health diseases cannot understand that severe sufferers have the same rights to lead a happy and unrestricted life as they themselves do. Especially HIV infected individuals are expected by the others around them to stop looking for a life companion or bed partner, as they are infected and can pass on the virus. However, healthy people should be aware that condoms offer extreme protection against the virus transmission.
"There's an unspoken expectation that if you're single and you test positive, you're supposed to become celibate. I believe it's contributing to continued infection, because if you know that disclosing your status will cause the other person to leave you, the chances are that you won't disclose. A lot of people have shown interest in what I'm doing and my clients have made it very clear that they are happy that someone has started this service," added Luta Shaba.
The dating agency, called Hapana, proved to be a success until now and Luta Shaba already succeeded in matching some HIV positive couples that get along unexpectedly well.
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