BELAGAVI: More than the fear of death, it was the potential stigma that made her hide her HIV-positive status.
When death was all she wanted, her little son gave her the strength and inspired her to live and help others like her live. Nagaratna Sunil Ramagouda (34) recently founded Ashraya Foundation to help those affected by HIV and AIDS. The story goes back 19 years. She felt more devastated than she would have been if sentenced to death when doctors told her, and her husband Sunil, that they were both HIV-infected. Sunil had got the infection from an infected needle while donating blood.
“It was in September 1997, five months after we were married. I was just 17. When we approached our family doctor for advice, he said we would have just have three to four months left. We were shocked. I was pregnant and following the doctor’s advice, I got an abortion,’ she said.
Depressed, Nagaratna and Sunil locked themselves inside their house for days. But they needed money to survive, and that forced them to return to work. Sunil, an auto driver, was back to ferrying passengers.
However, neither Nagaratna nor Sunil told their families about the HIV infection. Sunil had disclosed it to three friends, who maintained secrecy. One of them saw Nagaratna crying and said, “Don’t let yourself die every moment. It is God who decides and so leave it to him. Just take care of yourself.’
Five years later, Nagaratna’s family wanted to know why she wasn’t pregnant yet.
The couple then approached Dr Shivaram. Under his medical supervision, she delivered a HIV-negative baby boy. It was only then that the fear of HIV left Nagaratna and Sunil.
They decided to spread awareness about HIV-AIDS and came out.
Two years ago, Sunil died. But Nagaratna continued her work. Many NGOs work exclusively for HIV-positive children and men. But she noticed none was working exclusively for HIV-positive women.
Nagaratna is reportedly the first HIV-positive woman to have established an NGO for HIV-positive women.
In setting up Ashraya Foundation, she was helped by Pramila Kandrolli, a social activist, and noted architect Archana Vinod Padmannavar.
“I don’t want girls and women with HIV to go through what I had. Some may have the strength, but not all do,” said Nagaratna, adding that the Ashraya Foundation aims to provide counselling, training, education and employment.