One Day That Changed My Life

November 4, 2025

A woman’s life is often so absorbed by daily responsibilities that she may not notice how her own health is gradually being neglected. Children, home, work, husband, parents-in-law — the list of concerns is endless.

“When my health began to deteriorate, I finally went to the doctor. I bought a whole set of medicines and started taking them, but nothing helped. One evening, I saw a public service announcement on television: ‘Get a free HIV test — take care of your health!’ Those words made me stop and think. I decided to take the test. A day later, the result came — I tested positive for HIV. My world collapsed. Could it really be true? Was I now living with an incurable disease? It felt like a lifelong stigma. How much time did I have left? What if someone found out? That’s how I learned about my HIV status at the age of 23 — and on the same day, I also learned that I was pregnant.”

That day is etched in my memory as if it happened yesterday. I went to the Almaty Regional AIDS Center and met my physician. He invited me into a private office, showed me the test results, and began explaining what HIV is and how it is transmitted. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing — I didn’t see myself as being at risk: I had never used injecting drugs and had always been faithful to my husband.

The doctor asked for my husband’s phone number and, in my presence, invited him for testing. Soon it became clear that I had acquired the virus from my husband. When I heard that, I felt deep disappointment and even thought about divorce. But after many conversations with the doctor and the psychologist, I realized that, whatever had happened, our lives were now intertwined.

A thousand questions flooded my mind. What would my family say if they found out? Most importantly — would I be able to give birth to a healthy baby? Could my child also be living with HIV? These thoughts brought tears to my eyes.

My husband and I followed all the recommendations of the specialists at the AIDS Center and started treatment on time. Thanks to the dedication of these professionals, I overcame depression and found the strength to live — for myself and for my child. When I reached nine months of pregnancy, I had a cesarean section. Thankfully, my baby was born healthy — without HIV. The only restriction is that I cannot breastfeed. But my child is growing up cheerful, energetic, and just like any other child.

For a year, I continued regular consultations with the doctors, underwent testing, received answers to all my questions, and stayed on antiretroviral therapy. Now, my husband and I are planning to have a second baby, confident that we can once again bring a healthy child into the world.

I wish everyone good health and strength — and I want to say one thing: never give up!

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