Adulting 101
Breaking Stereotypes on HIV Transmission.
A discordant couple is one where a partner is HIV positive and the other is negative.
Laura Thuo a HIV influencer cum journalist is a bold content creator who disclosed her HIV status to the public. She is changing the narrative on the unspoken stigma and the labels on patients living with the virus.
In an interview, Laura discloses how she gets trolled with nasty comments regarding her status. Her wit and unbreakable spirit keep her going as she would term herself ” The HIV Babe.” The mother of one speaks of how she successfully breastfed her daughter while living with the virus. Unfortunately, she was labeled selfish for deciding to do this despite her status
Love and Marriage.
Laura’s love life has had its ups and downs. in what she termed as her process, Laura reveals that she would observe and take things slow. From observing and letting it flow to having an upfront conversation where she would reveal her status. In a nutshell, this is her process: analyze, see potential, and disclose. the bold Laura expected two things: acceptance or rejection. She revealed the shock of a guy who turned her down.
The bubbly Laura is happily married and tells me how it went down. Kevin, Laura’s husband was in shock. ”At a point, he stated he couldn’t do this and here we are.” Laura and Kevin are a striking discordant couple.
What is a discordant couple?
A discordant couple is one where a partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative. HIV is manageable in a discordant couple. It involves taking precautions to prevent virus transmission from the positive partner to the negative partner. Practicing safe sex: using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by the HIV-negative partner, condoms, etc.
The couple applies the U=U concept- Undetectable equals Untransmittable. This refers to individuals with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load through effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) and are highly unlikely to transmit the virus to their HIV-negative partners through sexual contact. Viral load is the amount of HIV in a person’s blood.
The couple has not shied away from social media. Their charming family has broken the stereotype that comes with HIV. With a charming daughter, Laura has been able to achieve an HIV-negative child justifying its justifiable. From administering prophylaxis at around 6-7 months to taking her drugs precisely as well as opening a file for her daughter to monitor the virus. Taking to her socials, she breathed a sigh of relief as her daughter tested negative.
”There’s always something you can do”
Rating a 6/10, Laura believes this is where the country is at in HIV literacy. Laura firmly believes regardless of anyone’s space, one can achieve anything. She emphasizes taking a step rather than complaining saying it doesn’t change a thing. laura thanked her husband for being her biggest support system as well as the guy who deals with online bullies. She further expressed her love for her daughter and sent a sweet message to herself saying ” I am so proud of you. ”