What is it like to grow up with HIV?
\u201cI hated myself so much. But now I have the courage to love myself and see myself beyond this virus.\u201d
Singing a song in class with the words \u2018Aids is a killer disease\u2019 when none of your classmates know you\u2019re HIV positive\u2026
Telling friends your status and then finding people are afraid to touch you\u2026
Being told by young men that you\u2019re \u2018lucky\u2019 they will date you.
Two young women from South Africa and Kenya who were born with the virus share an emotional discussion about how these experiences impacted on their childhood and mental health. Nomonde Ngema is a 21 year old HIV activist from KwaZulu-Natal who shares videos on TikTok about her daily life managing her illness. Jerop Limo is a 24-year-old activist from Kenya.
Both are currently in New York to speak to world leaders as part of the UN\u2019s Summit of the Future \u2013 before the General Assembly debates start next week.
They\u2019ve both decided to speak openly about their status and experiences to help other young people with the virus know they\u2019re not alone.
According to the World Health Organisation there are about 1.5 million children under the age of 14 currently living with HIV.