I offended people. I offered empathy for people expressing honesty.
It is easy and , as altruistic beings, natural to offer empathy and sympathy, for the damaged person, the person who has the disability, the injured party.
But what about the partner of the injured party? Is there a place for this person to express distress, fear, lack of attraction without facing the wrath of society.
Sleeping with the "enemy" , in which the "enemy" represents what society most fears and judges, can include HIV/AIDS/STI's as well as any chronic illness.
I invited people on my show with Redi Tlhabi on Radio 702/Cape Talk to honestly confess what its like to sleep with someone who is knowingly infected with HIV. Their confusion, guilt was palpable. And then the infected partners voices came through and therin lay another kind of pain. I believe we need to see all sides of the coin, have empathy for all who are the "enemy" and all who sleep with the "enemy".
There is no place for judgement either way. I place a high value on loyalty but not exchanging one life for another, not sacrificing one happiness for the wellbeing of the other. Let's get real, let's face up to how impossibly difficult it must be to be, terrifiying, to penetrate, lick, suck, kiss a beloved for fear of becoming infected. If we offer judgement , we encourage silence and hence further infections.
Tell me your thoughts..
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