Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Over the next four months, we will follow Gabrielle, who is HIV positive, until she gives birth.

Gabrielle* was 17 years old when she found out she was pregnant and HIV positive.

She had gone to the medical centre to do a routine blood test when the nurse broke the bad news. "'You are HIV positive'. I went numb," she said. However, she regained her composure after a few days. She now had a baby to live for. She told herself that she had to at least live long enough to see her baby born without the virus.

Gabrielle was able to reveal to her parents that she was pregnant. But telling them she was HIV positive was not such an easy task. It has been two years and she still has not been able to break the news.

Sick parents

"My parents worry over everything and they both have illnesses that, with added stress, will only make things worse."

However, she has told one relative her secret. She pleaded with that relative to keep her secret. Once aware of her status, the relative became very overprotective. "She would tell me to be careful all the time. She began to treat me as though I was going to die. The thing is, I don't want anyone to be sorry for me." However, she has got over the shock and the need to do everything for her and their interaction is back to normal.

It was then time to tell her baby's father that she was positive. "When I told him, he broke down." He did not know that he was positive. She told him to get tested because he was the only man she had been with, so he must have been the one who passed the virus to her. But he refused to be tested.

"He told me to get rid of the baby and then take our lives. But I said no."

Abort the baby

She battled with her emotions and decided to abort the baby.

"I asked a friend to accompany me to the place to abort the baby. But when I got there, I could not do it, not after feeling the baby moving inside me."

Gabrielle began to suffer from stress; her blood pressure was up and she began feeling ill daily. She went to the doctor and he told her that if she did not get rid of whatever was causing her stress, she could lose the baby. "So, I ended the relationship with my boyfriend. Over time, his will to live was not there anymore and he died last year."

Gabrielle gave birth to a bouncing baby boy and to her joy, he did not have the virus.

Gabrielle is now 19 years old and is five months pregnant with her second child. Her current boyfriend is also HIV positive.

To be continued.