I am an HIV-positive mother. I gave birth to a healthy boy a month ago. As you might know I am not supposed to breastfeed to protect my baby. When my husband and I got married three years ago we were both HIV-negative. During my pregnancy, my husband confessed that he was the one who infected me. It affected me but I received some counselling and got to accept it. But now his relatives question why I am not breastfeeding. They tell me I am a bad mother and that hurts. Now I don’t know if I should tell them or not? - Pee

Dear Pee

Your personal life is your personal life dear one; you don’t owe any of them an explanation if you don’t feel like it. Being HIV-positive does not make you a bad mother, you did not ask for it. If you ask me I will tell you that you are a great mother in being strong to accept the results of your status when you were pregnant, you soldiered on and now you are standing up to protect your child. That alone makes you a great mother.

What they think should not matter to you. Who are they to judge anyway? Live your life concentrating on your plans and not what other people think about you. People will always talk. They would still talk behind your back even if you were negative. So it is not about your status; it is just one of their bad habits. So ignore them.

Move on with your life and live to protect your child. - Gracey