THIS WORLD Living Positive Tx Date: 1st December 2005 This script was made from audio tape – any inaccuracies are due to voices being unclear or inaudible 10.00.00 This World Theme Music 10.00.01 Title Page thisworld 10.00.06 Music 10.00.06 Graphic SIX people around the world 10.00.10 Graphic With ONE extraordinary thing in common 10.00.12 Graphic This is ONE day in their lives 10.00.15 Graphic Friday 22nd July 2005 10.00.19 Title Page Living POSITIVE 10.00.25 Music 10.00.26 Aston Charlottesville, USA 10.00.39 Shawn When I was diagnosed my Mom told my teacher and my teacher told the principal and I was kicked out of school. That was HIV. My best friend’s parents wouldn’t let me spend the night at his house anymore. Oh; I’m HIV positive. 00.00.57 Shawn Good morning. 10.00.58 Gwen Good morning. 10.01.00 Narrator Last year Shawn married Gwen. She doesn’t have HIV. 10.00.06 Gwen Shawn does not have a lot of dark moments. He has really no fear of death. I have no idea how or why but he is just a ridiculously upbeat person. 10.01.22 Gwen Did you sleep good? 10.01.24 Shawn Hmm, mmm, I did, I don’t know what I dreamt about, I think it was a randy dream. Not Randy our friend but kind of a, you know, there were definitely sexual overtones. I must have woken up at some point with a semi. The good news is I think you were in it. 10.01.41 Gwen Well, that is good news. 10.01.43 Music 10.01.45 Narrator Shawn’s dreams are a side effect of his medication. HIV or Human Immuno-deficiency Virus attacks the immune system. Shawn’s medicines, called ARVs or Anti-Retrovirals, control the virus and stop it developing into Aids. 10.02.02 Shawn The medication I’m currently on I take before I go to bed, I’ve been taking for like a few months. One thing I’ve been dealing with is like a little bit of fatigue. 10.02.11 Gwen Sometimes you get tired at the exact moment that you have to do something that you don’t necessarily want to do! Oh, I’m so tired, I feel the Aids coming on! 10.02.23 Shawn I guess I can’t really deny it. I have maybe abuse my status in certain regards to getting out of chores and such. 10.02.34 Narrator Gwen and Shawn met seven years ago when she was studying to become an HIV counsellor. She was looking for someone to interview. 10.02.41 Music 10.02.43 Gwen This is one of my favourite pictures. 10.02.45 Shawn Yeah. 10.02.46 Gwen I just think it’s beautiful. 10.02.48 Shawn In the first fifteen to twenty seconds of speaking with Gwen for the first time; boom. Hey, I’m, I’m the guy with HIV, I was told to give you a call, you know, it’s not a very common pick-up line. In this case I guess it worked. 10.03.08 Music 10.03.09 Graphic There are more than 40 million people in the world living with HIV Source: UNAIDS 10.03.16 Aston Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 10.03.38 Hanah Voice over I feel I’m living with a bomb inside me. The merest movement might trigger it off. 10.03.45 Narrator Hanah, a transvestite, worries about catching a cough or cold. HIV weakens the immune system so Hanah is more vulnerable to infections. 10.03.57 Hanah Voice over I got infected because I had a boyfriend who was in the Merchant Navy. He spent four months in Brazil and the rest of the year travelling. We used to have wild sex. We were so passionate, we used to do it everywhere; in the bush, in the sauna, in the car. Three times when we were in the car the condom broke. One of those times possibly I got infected. That must have been when it happened. 10.04.32 Music 10.04.38 Narrator Hanah’s a cabaret singer. She’s made HIV awareness part of her act. Tonight she’s performing at one of Rio’s gay clubs. 10.04.48 Music 10.04.52 Hanah Voice over These are the dresses I use in my shows; they’re the tools of my trade. Doing a number on Aids prevention gives me satisfaction. I’m able to educate and raise people’s awareness. 10.05.04 Music 10.05.08 Aston Namakkal, India 10.05.14 Graphic In India one person EVERY MINUTE is infected with HIV Source: Indian National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) 10.05.25 Narrator More than five million people in India have HIV. It’s spreading so fast the government is struggling to keep pace. Nearly half of all reported Aids cases are in Tamil Nadu. 10.05.38 Narrator It’s the start of a school day and Venilla is rushing to get her son Sanjit ready. 10.05.43 Venilla Subtitles Come on darling, let’s eat. Go put this inside. Come on, be quick about it! Hurry, hurry! Come on, it’s 7.15 10.05.57 Narrator Venilla contracted HIV from her husband Chandra five years ago; she was twenty-one. Chandra was a lorry driver. 10.06.07 Narrator Truckers often visit sex workers or have unsafe sex with other men as they travel along India’s highways. Venilla didn’t know she was at risk. 10.06.19 Venilla Voice over He used to go off in his truck; he could have gone somewhere and caught it that way I suppose. I didn’t even know what HIV was. When I found out I cried; when I say cried it was as if my head was going to explode. 10.06.39 Music 10.06.39 Graphic WOMEN are nearly TWICE as likely as MEN to contract HIV through heterosexual sex with an INFECTED partner Source: Terrence Higgins Trust 10.06.49 Narrator Venilla’s husband died. Although he’d infected her, she was ostracised by his family. 10.06.58 Venilla Voice over My mother-in-law and sister-in-law wouldn’t speak to me. Nobody took any notice of me. They simply said; all right, she’s got it. I would lie awake at night thinking who could we depend on from now on, how would we cope, who would look after us. 10.07.18 Narrator Venilla’s parents took her and Sanjit back home. Sanjit doesn’t have HIV. 10.07.26 Venilla Voice over My son was only two. My biggest worry was how I would look after him and bring him up. He knows I’m poorly but he doesn’t know much more. 10.07.37 Venilla Subtitles What sort of doctor do you want to be when you grow up? 10.07.44 Sanjit Subtitle A hospital doctor. 10.07.56 Music 10.07.59 Aston Gaborone, Botswana 10.08.05 Graphic 37% of the adult population in Botswana HAVE HIV Source: UNAIDS 10.08.11 Graphic The average LIFE expectancy is 35 Source: UNAIDS 10.08.25 Narrator Thirty-three year old Cynthia is a beauty queen. Earlier this year she became a national celebrity. 10.08.31 Announcer Cynthia is our Queen. Miss Stigma Free two zero zero five. A huge round of applause for Cynthia. 10.08.45 Narrator Stigma about HIV is so great in Botswana that a beauty competition is held every year to try and change people’s attitudes. 10.08.56 Narrator All the participants are HIV positive. 10.09.00 Cynthia I entered the beauty show because, because of stigma and at the same time I know that I’m living with HIV and Aids and I’m beautiful, you know. 10.09.10 Music 10.09.11 Narrator But four years ago Cynthia had TB and stomach cancer. She developed Aids after becoming resistant to her ARV treatment. She changed drugs and survived. But Cynthia knows there’s no cure for Aids. 10.09.24 Cynthia I got infected through unprotected sex. I used to be going to nightclubs, socialising, clubbing, partying. Party without Cynthia it wasn’t a party. I thought I was, I could not get infected and you know I was flattered by men. 10.09.46 Cynthia Subtitles I was impressed by sugar daddies because they’d give me whatever I want – cash, cell phones, the fancy cars. 10.09.55 Cynthia As long as he’s sleeping with me and then he’d give me that kind of thing that was the kind of life that I wanted to like. 10.10.03 Music 10.10.06 Narrator Botswana is one of the richest countries in Africa and was the first to make ARV treatment freely available. But despite this it still has the second highest prevalence of HIV in the world. 10.10.19 Music 10.10.22 Cynthia Subtitles We are being given medication, but the thing is, people don’t want to go for testing. People don’t want to change their behaviour. We still indulge on unprotected sex. 10.10.36 Music 10.10.37 Aston Phnom Penh, Cambodia 10.10.42 Graphic There are 25,000 sex workers in Cambodia Source: UNAIDS 10.10.47 Graphic Nearly 30% are thought to have HIV Source: World Health Organisation 10.10.54 Narrator It’s daybreak. The city is waking up. 10.10.57 Music 10.11.09 Pheap Voice over We get up early because we’re embarrassed to be sleeping rough. We’re also afraid of the police. 10.11.15 Pheap Subtitles Hey, rickshaw driver! Which way are you going? 10.11.19 Narrator Twenty-five year old Pheap came to Phnom Penh from the countryside when she was eighteen. 10.11.24 Pheap Subtitle How much to go to Wat Phnom? 10.11.30 Narrator She worked in a bar and contracted HIV from one of her customers. She now works as a prostitute and lives on the street. 10.11.40 Pheap Voice over We used to wash under the tree but they took away the pipes now we have to wash elsewhere. 10.11.47 Narrator HIV Aids attacks the body’s white blood cells which protect against infection. Pheap has TB, a common Aids related illness and can’t start ARV treatment until it’s cleared up. 10.12.01 Pheap Voice over I can’t make much money anymore. When I was healthy men came to me for sex. Now that I’ve lost weight they assume that I’m HIV positive and don’t want me anymore. 10.12.11 Music 10.12.15 Narrator Pheap and her friends hang out at the Phnom Pagoda; one of the city’s best known landmarks. Her best friend Mao is nine months pregnant; she’s still popular with the customers. 10.12.32 Pheap Voice over We just hang around. Customers give a signal; we go to them and start bargaining. If we’re desperate we’ll agree on a dollar but if not we’ll hold out for more. 10.12.50 Music 10.12.50 Graphic EVERY MINUTE one child is infected with HIV and another one dies from an AIDS related illness Source: UNICEF 10.12.58 Aston Odessa, Ukraine 10.13.09 Narrator It’s seven am and like any teenager Rustem is struggling to get out of bed. 10.13.15 Rustem Subtitle Morning! 10.13.19 Narrator Rustem lives at Wey Home; a shelter for street kids and orphans in Odessa. 10.13.25 Narrator Last year the shelter tested thirty children for HIV. Twenty were positive; Rustem was one of them. 10.13.39 Rustem Voice over I try not to think about it. This virus hasn’t affected me at all. It’s just like a nightmare, a dream. 10.13.53 Narrator It’s virtually impossible to contract HIV through everyday activities, like sharing a cup or touching. It can be passed through unprotected sex with an infected person, during pregnancy and by sharing needles. Seventy percent of Ukrainians with HIV have contracted it through intravenous drug use. 10.14.14 Rustem Voice over We would take manganese solution, vinegar, traffic or tetradine, put it in a glass, shake it and then draw it in and inject it. 10.14.27 Narrator Despite sharing needles Rustem never thought he was at risk. 10.14.32 Rustem Voice over I would only share with my friends who I felt sure were clean. It’s impossible. 10.14.39 Narrator Wey Home is run by Raisa. Street kids are loathed by the authorities, especially those with HIV. There’s little help from the state so shelters like Wey Home are crucial. 10.14.54 Narrator Nine year old Vladek is an orphan and contracted HIV from his mother. He’s on anti-retroviral treatment unlike most street kids. 10.15.08 Raisa Voice over We’ve got four kids on ARV therapy; two younger and two older ones. 10.15.15 Narrator There’s only one HIV clinic in Odessa and it’s on the other side of town. 10.15.24 Rustem Voice over I don’t want to go to hospital to be checked for HIV infections because they’ll diagnose things you would never have expected. It would upset me even more. 10.15.39 Narrator It’s mid-morning in Rio. Brazil is renowned for its HIV healthcare. Hanah’s about to have a check-up. 10.15.48 Doctor Subtitles The last time you were in, in March, I asked you to have some tests – did you get them done? 10.15.54 Hanah Subtitles Yes I did, but I haven’t brought them. 10.15.59 Narrator Branded ARV treatment is very expensive so Brazil makes its own cheaper generic drugs. Hanah can’t take ARVs because she’s got TB; she should be taking tablets to clear it up. 10.16.11 Hanah Subtitles I don’t have the motivation! I just don’t. Pill after pill after pill and nothing happens, you know? I’m just going through a phase. 10.16.23 Doctor Subtitles You’ve got a nice approach to life, you’re such an activist – why don’t you take care of your health? 10.16.29 Hanah Subtitles All I wish for is to get an opportunistic infection and just die in about 15 days. 10.16.37 Narrator But there was a time when her wish to die was more than just words. 10.16.46 Hanah Voice over I spoke to a friend who knew a hit man because it’s easy here in Rio to come by this sort of thing. I rang the hit man and described a little blonde girl of one metre seventy wearing jeans and a black jacket with pin stripes. And he said; that’s easy, I’ll do it. 10.17.16 Narrator But Hanah’s plan failed when the hit man mentioned the job to a mutual friend. 10.17.23 Hanah Voice over My friend said to the hit man; don’t do it because she’s describing herself, she’s ordering her own killing. 10.17.35 Music 10.17.40 Graphic ONE MILLION Americans are living with HIV the highest number ever Source: US Center for Disease Control and Prevention 10.17.49 Narrator It’s late morning and Shawn and Gwen are going out. Shawn is one of ten thousand American haemophiliacs who contracted HIV through blood transfusions in the early eighties. 10.17.58 Music 10.17.59 Shawn I decided I wasn’t going to talk to my parents about it; they had to fight me to get me to go to doctor’s appointments. It just was something I didn’t want to think about. 10.18.11 Shawn You said it was Church Street, didn’t you? 10.18.13 Gwen Go over there. 10.18.15 Shawn Damned Woman, tell me how to drive my car. 10.18.19 Gwen Well you’re not doing anything. 10.18.22 Narrator But seven years ago when Gwen moved in with Shawn, she had to confront her own fears of living with someone with HIV. 10.18.30 Gwen It was kind of scary at first; even though I was really educated about HIV I wasn’t a hundred percent sure about everything. The fears were kind of about the stupid stuff, about kissing, about in a home environment am I going to be exposed to blood whatever but I kind of realised that stuff just doesn’t really happen. 10.18.52 Gwen We’re going on Williamson and then we’re going to look for Haggard and go right on Haggard. 10.18.57 Shawn I could say something but I probably would get in trouble. 10.19.00 Gwen That I’m haggard? 10.19.02 Shawn I didn’t say it. 10.19.03 Gwen Yeah, you were thinking it. 10.19.05 Shawn I didn’t say it. 10.19.06 Gwen You were thinking it. 10.19.07 Gwen I guess the biggest risk realistically is if a condom broke. It’s never happened for us because I think we know, I know that we know how to use condoms correctly. My level of risk is actually really low but it’s just one that I’ve kind of agreed to take because it’s worth it for me to be with him. 10.19.27 Music 10.19.32 Narrator In India Venilla’s off to work. After her husband died she became an HIV counsellor. 10.19.39 Music 10.19.44 Venilla Voice over Even though there’s support there’s still a lot of discrimination. People don’t have information and they’re scared. But they seem to gain reassurance from the fact that I too have HIV. 10.20.05 Narrator Every year sixty thousand children in India are born with HIV. The virus is passed from mother to child during pregnancy, birth or through breast milk. 10.20.18 Narrator Venilla’s on her way to see a trucker’s widow who is HIV positive. 10.20.26 Venilla Voice over Her daughter is now sick but she hasn’t been tested yet. I told her four days ago that she should get her daughter tested and she said she would. But I want to see that she definitely does. Come, let’s go see Maliga. 10.20.42 Narrator Maliga knows that she might have infected Cavias and she’s scared. She’s already missed four appointments to have her tested for HIV. 10.20.52 Venilla Subtitles You’ve powdered your face and put on nice make-up! Is this for going for the test? 10.20.59 Cavias Subtitle Mummy did it. Venilla Subtitle Mummy did it, did she? 10.21.02 Venilla Subtitles Now, about your child – you said you were going today. So will you have the tests done today? 10.21.08 Maliga Subtitle Yes, I will. 10.21.10 Venilla Subtitle Shall we go for the test? 10.21.11 Maliga Subtitle Yes, let’s go. 10.21.16 Narrator If women with HIV are given ARV medicines and warned about breast feeding there’s only a one to two percent chance of their child contracting HIV. Without that the risk for Cavias and children like her is thirty- five times as high. 10.21.32 Narrator It’s a difficult time for Cavias and her mother. Without treatment the majority of all children born with HIV will die before their fifth birthday. They’ll have to wait until this evening for the results. 10.21.46 Music 10.21.47 Aston Odessa, Ukraine 10.12.52 Graphic more than 80% of people living with HIV/AIDS In Eastern Europe are under 30 years old Source: UNICEF 10.22.04 Narrator In Ukraine Rustem’s at work too. It’s only work experience but a chance to rebuild his life. 10.22.14 Mechanic Subtitles Keep it up like this. It’s going here. 10.22.24 Narrator Rustem’s life fell apart when he was just ten years old. 10.22.31 Rustem Voice over My father was working and working until he met my stepmother. Then he sent me to an orphanage and I ran away. 10.22.39 Narrator After living on the streets for six years he knows many of the kids living rough. 10.22.47 Rustem Voice over I go to the street kids and try to convince them not to inject and inhale. I chat to them about Wey Home; tell them to go there and talk. 10.22.58 Music 10.23.02 Narrator On the surface Odessa is a trendy seaside town but below the pavement cafés and shops is the world of the street kids. 10.23.11 Narrator A few days ago Rustem went to visit them in a bunker just yards from the main shopping street. 10.23.16 Music 10.23.25 Rustem Subtitle That means they’re further on. 10.23.37 Boy Subtitle Why did you come? It’s dark. 10.23.39 Rustem Subtitles What do you mean? It’s still daytime! 10.23.50 Boy Subtitles I was asleep. I’d just laid down when I heard talking and I was shitting myself. 10.23.58 Rustem Subtitles What do you mean? I could hear you saying “shh shh!” 10.24.02 Boy Subtitle It was the fucking rats. 10.24.14 Boy Subtitles But at least it’s not dangerous here. No fucking cops can get in here. They’d die trying! 10.24.26 Music 10.24.28 Narrator The police are the street kids’ biggest enemy. Hiding from them is essential. 10.24.34 Music 10.24.41 Rustem Voice over I lived here. The police didn’t know about this house but then they came here and saw us injecting and beat us up. 10.24.51 Music 10.25.03 Rustem Voice over You can see these blackened walls where the police set light to us. They poured petrol through the window and then set it alight; it was horrific. It was horrible but we just kept going somehow, kept living onward and onward. 10.25.31 Music 10.25.34 Narrator In Cambodia it’s midday and Pheap’s looking for clients. HIV amongst sex workers has halved in the last seven years. 10.25.46 Pheap Voice over This is where I bring my clients to sleep with; it’s nearby and cheap, only two dollars a night. I dare not tell my clients that I have HIV or I can’t make any money. I try not to go with men who refuse protection because I wouldn’t want to spread the disease to them and more especially to their families. I feel for their families; their wives are innocent. 10.26.13 Narrator The Cambodian government insists brothel workers use condoms. But Pheap sometimes makes an exception. 10.26.21 Pheap Voice over When I’m desperate for money, if clients ask me not to use condoms to protect myself I agree. 10.26.34 Music 10.26.37 Narrator In India Venilla’s fighting her in-laws for possession of the home she shared with her husband. Today she’s just visiting. 10.26.45 Music 10.26.49 Venilla Voice over Whenever I come up here I remember my husband. Us being here, the places we would sit, the things we would talk about. Being up here brings back all these memories. I contracted HIV from my husband. How do I feel about him? I’m not able to say. 10.27.26 Venilla Voice over This only happened to me because I got married. It’s our fate that this should happen and it’s not going to change. This is my only thought on the subject so there’s no use in speaking about it any more. 10.27.45 Music 10.27.57 Aston Elon College, USA 10.28.01 Graphic 1 in 4 people living with HIV in the USA don’t know they have it Source: CDC US Department of Health and Human Services 10.28.07 Narrator Shawn and Gwen make their living from talking to college students. 10.28.11 Shawn My life story is a little sad. I was born in the month of July. Does anybody know what horoscope sign that makes me? 10.28.21 Shawn Cancer. Cancer; so even my sign was a disease. Does anybody know the symbol for Cancer? 10.28.32 Shawn Yeah, crab!! My parents in their infinite wisdom on top of that decided to name me Shawn Timothy Decker, which makes my initials S T D. So I was pretty much screwed from day one I think. 10.28.49 Shawn America has a federal Aids budget of eighteen billion dollars. Much of the money goes on expensive patented drugs and research. Just five percent is spent on prevention and education. 10.29.01 Gwen So, you were talking about you and that girl and I was wondering if you and the girl had sex. 10.29.10 Shawn Hmmm. The girl that’s looking me in the eye right now. 10.29.15 Gwen Preferably that one, yes. 10.29.18 Shawn It’s the only one. Yeah, how it works is we have sex, we use condoms each and every time, we use them properly and we’ve never had one break and Gwen’s HIV negative, so, so it does work and yeah. 10.29.35 Gwen Ok. I was just curious because I didn’t know. 10.29.38 Shawn Ok. 10.29.39 Gwen Thanks for telling me. 10.29.40 Shawn Excellent. 10.29.42 Narrator Shawn and Gwen try to convince students to use condoms as the key means of avoiding HIV infection. It’s a message that conflicts with official US policy. 10.29.52 Shawn I have sort of a skewed viewpoint on what’s happening in this country. Federally funded money is going towards education in public schools that is abstinence only. Telling people not to have sex and calling that HIV education to me is pretty reckless. It really flies in the face of everything Gwen and I are trying to do. 10.30.15 Shawn …but please feel free to take these also and we have a button and it’s really embarrassing to have my, my little character on a button. Feel free to put it on your backpack, we just think there’s so many simple ways to raise awareness. 10.30.28 Gwen Thank you guys, very much. 10.30.29 Applause 10.30.33 Music 10.30.46 Narrator In Botswana Miss HIV Stigma Free has arrived to spread her message. 10.30.50 Cynthia Hello, hello. I love you so much. Do you love me? 10.30.54 Children Yeah. 10.30.55 Narrator One in ten children in Botswana will die from Aids before they are five. 10.31.00 Cynthia I love you too guys. I love you so much. 10.31.05 Narrator The school is owned by her sister Sinolo. This year the Bush administration has given Botswana thirty- five million dollars for its Aids programme, provided it promotes abstinence as one of its messages. 10.31.22 Cynthia How do one get to get Aids? Yeah. 10.31.25 Boy By having some sex before marriage and by having sex without using a condom. 10.31.33 Cynthia There’s a good boy. Unprotected sex. 10.31.39 Girl We all have the right to say no to unprotected sex. 10.31.43 Cynthia You just have to say no to sex. No, and a big no, we are very young, don’t get flattered by men. So saying no to sex, say no, like no. Say it. 10.31.58 Children No. 10.31.59 Cynthia No to sex. 10.32.01 Children No to sex. 10.32.04 Narrator Sinolo’s invited Cynthia and the rest of the family for lunch. 10.32.09 Sinolo These are ocean furniture and you see they look like, this is a tortoise, sort of, you know and this is a shell form, this is why I was telling you that I, I like beach life, unfortunately …is not along the beach. And so I’m trying to bring that to my house. This is what we use for sweeping. Yeah and today this is drum…. 10.32.42 Sinolo I think if Cynthia had not contracted HIV Aids she was going to be the same as me. 10.32.52 Narrator It was Sinolo who Cynthia first turned to when she was diagnosed with HIV. 10.32.57 Sinolo When Cynthia called that she was HIV positive, you know, she, she lost weight, she lost everything. She didn’t even like herself. I’ve got her here and we struggled together because she couldn’t even accept herself. All the time she would be telling me that she was going to die. 10.33.23 Cynthia She was the one who broke the news to my mum. I was crying because it was like every little, every little day, you know I did something very, to me it was like, you know, I’ve sinned, what I had done to my mum, I’ve betrayed the family. 10.33.43 Narrator But despite Sinolo’s support the shame was too great for Cynthia. 10.33.48 Cynthia I’ve collected all the medication in the house, the pills, Dettol, whatever cleaning detergent, Vim, Handy Andy’s and then I swallowed them. 10.34.01 Sinolo When she woke I could smell the, the tablets, then I said ok, let’s go. I had to take her straight to hospital. She was admitted for two days. The second day she was in a coma. I see her nowadays, she’s a strong girl and she still has a lot of future ahead of her. Another chance to make it. 10.34.33 Music 10.34.35 Narrator The beach is part of every day life in Rio. It’s mid- afternoon and Hanah’s out with a friend. 10.34.40 Music 10.34.40 Hanah’s friend Subtitle Look at that girl – she’s ugly! 10.34.44 Hanah Subtitles What a hunk! I’d like some of that! I want him. 10.34.48 Music 10.35.02 Hanah Subtitles Nowadays, in a friendship when someone finds out you’re HIV positive, they deal with it well. They worry about you and support you. 10.35.19 Narrator Like Cynthia, Hanah finds the stigma surrounding HIV the hardest thing to take. 10.35.31 Hanah Voice over Touch becomes the most important medicine or cure there can be because it’s often not just the drugs which cure you. What kills people with Aids is the disease but the discrimination and intolerance kill much more effectively. 10.35.57 Hanah Voice over Working, making a living for what, to sit down and eat all by myself. Today you are here to watch but in my day to day life I’m alone. I come home, eat alone and sleep alone. This is what makes me really sad. It’s because of this I can’t be happy. 10.36.37 Music 10.36.43 Narrator It’s late afternoon in Phnom Penh. Pheap hasn’t had a client all day so she and her friends pool their money to buy something to eat. 10.36.57 Pheap Voice over If there are ingredients missing or if you don’t have chile it’s not tasty. 10.37.11 Pheap Voice over It’s the friendship I have around me that keeps me going. These people don’t discriminate, they treat me as their friend, their family, they love me for myself, they support me, give me advice which I appreciate. 10.37.28 Narrator Every Friday Pheap heads off to Friends, a local charity for a medical check-up and counselling. Pheap’s HIV has progressed to Aids. She needs to start ARV treatment soon but she’s been in and out of hospital with TB. 10.37.45 Doctor Subtitle Are you tired? 10.37.47 Pheap Subtitles Yes, I am and I’ve got a headache. 10.37.51 Narrator ARV treatment is free to sex workers but it’s a strict regime to follow. It’s almost impossible while living on the streets. 10.37.59 Pheap Subtitles Some people catch this disease and die soon after, but I’ve had it for three years and I’m still fighting. I gave up on life before, but now I realise how important it is. I just lived my life without thinking. I regret that now. 10.38.21 Narrator Pheap wants to get better, she has a four year old daughter who lives with a childminder. 10.38.30 Pheap Voice over I love my child very much but I can’t afford to look after her. If I have her with me then both of us would go hungry and she’d become ill as a result. 10.38.48 Narrator For years Shawn didn’t think about his future, convinced he wouldn’t be around to see it. 10.38.56 Shawn I am thirty and I had serious doubts as to whether I would make it to thirty when I was told I had HIV because I was just eleven. And I took it, you know, one week, one month, one year at a time. 10.39.12 Gwen It was really difficult for me; I was the total opposite. A lot of people think that we couldn’t have a family but that‘s not true, there is a process called sperm washing that we could have a kid naturally. 10.39.25 Narrator The process takes individual sperm and removes the virus from them so they can be artificially inseminated. 10.39.33 Shawn It’s nice to know that through modern technology we could have a child if we wanted to. 10.39.41 Gwen People ask me if I want a child and I say I have one and his name is Shawn. He doesn’t pick up his socks, so. 10.39.49 Music 10.39.58 Shawn I look forward to being a quirky old man with silly blue pants walking down the street, going buying vintage Depeche Mode albums and trying to get fifteen year olds to listen to them. That’s where I see myself at eighty years old. 10.40.14 Music 10.40.23 Narrator Venilla not only counsels people but also works at Namakkal’s main hospital. The hospital has an Aids ward for the terminally ill; it’s the only one in the area and it’s overflowing. 10.40.36 Woman Subtitle I’m not well, I’m not well at all. 10.40.39 Venilla Subtitles Right, you have to go upstairs for admissions. You have to admit this lady to the HIV ward upstairs. That’s what she’s come for, isn’t it? 10.40.52 Venilla Voice over When I see people who have lesions all over their bodies or who are lying there barely skin and bone, I feel frightened. 10.41.01 Venilla Subtitles It’s very crowded. There aren’t enough beds so you’ll have to lie on the floor. 10.41.11 Narrator The ward has only eighteen beds; this is where the lucky ones end up. 10.41.29 Venilla Voice over Sometimes I’m afraid to go and speak to them. I’m scared I may end up like them. I try not to think of such things but naturally deep down inside I’m scared. 10.41.42 Narrator It’s been a busy day. From taking Sanjit to school to Cavias test and it’s starting to take its toll. 10.41.52 Venilla Voice over I’ve been feeling tired since yesterday. I haven’t been able to eat anything, now I feel quite feverish. 10.42.01 Music 10.42.07 Narrator It’s late afternoon in Ukraine; Rustem’s back at Wey Home. 10.42.11 Music 10.42.15 Rustem Voice over This group is called the Three Dots; these are cool songs. I like this song because it’s about two friends; one of them died because of drugs and the other one shot himself. 10.42.26 Music 10.42.36 Narrator The memory of life on the streets is never far away. Nor the horrifying scale of HIV Aids among Ukraine’s street kids. 10.42.43 Music 10.42.46 Raisa Subtitles Positive. Positive and already died. The same, Ula. 10.42.55 Raisa Positive. Positive. Positive. Positive. 10.43.07 Raisa Subtitle And Rustem. 10.43.11 Narrator Raisa thinks there is hope for Rustem. 10.43.18 Raisa Voice over If we compare Rustem today with the guys he used to live with, they’re really coming to their end; they look like living corpses in comparison with this attractive, joyful, full of plans young man. 10.43.34 Raisa Voice over He’s ready to struggle, to accept life as it is, to live it. 10.43.41 Rustem Subtitles Well, guys, we’re going to make cherry dumplings. 10.43.44 Boy Subtitle Good, we like cherries! 10.43.49 Rustem Subtitles They’re not sticking together. This one will be better! 10.44.03 Rustem Voice over I dream about a normal life; a flat, a wife, children, a job. That’s all. 10.44.12 Music 10.44.12 Aston Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 10.44.17 Graphic The Brazilian government SPENDS 450 million dollars each year on HIV medicine Source: Brazilian Health Ministry 10.44.25 Narrator It’s evening but for Hanah work’s just starting. She’s preparing her outfit for the cabaret she’ll perform later. As the President of the Transvestite Association of Rio, she’s got another job to do first. 10.44.42 Hanah Voice over I’m packing condoms and lubricant so that I can go out and distribute them. This is very important work that I don’t get paid for. 10.44.57 Music 10.45.01 Narrator Earlier this year the US offered Brazil forty-eight million dollars to help fight Aids but there was a catch. They insisted the money wasn’t spent on projects that dealt with sex workers. Brazil refused the money. 10.45.14 Music 10.45.24 Hanah Subtitles This is for oral sex, because it’s mint. So that you don’t have the taste of rubber. It tastes better, OK? 10.45.36 Hanah Subtitle Where did you disappear to? 10.45.39 Friend Subtitles I was with the girls last Thursday. 10.45.42 Hanah Subtitles When you rang I was having my hair done. 10.45.46 Friend Subtitle I’ll come by on Thursday. 10.45.48 Hanah Subtitle OK. Friend Subtitle Good. 10.45.50 Hanah Subtitles Look after yourself girls, and have lots of luck tonight! 10.46.02 Narrator In Botswana Cynthia is following her own policy of abstinence. 10.46.09 Cynthia I like this poster because I prefer masturbation or doing, just being abstaining. I’m doing it myself because I’m kind of, I don’t trust men. Why? Because after being tested I don’t even know who, who really infected me. These guys now, to me is just a turn-off. So at least I can masturbate. It’s fine without sex. 10.46.42 Music 10.46.42 Graphic 60% of people with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa ARE WOMEN Source: UNAIDS 10.46.50 Narrator As the day draws to a close Cynthia’s off to visit her best friend, Nell. She was a fellow contestant in the Miss HIV Stigma Free competition. But Cynthia worries about Nell’s behaviour. 10.47.01 Cynthia Subtitle So how’s your boyfriend? 10.47.03 Nell Subtitle Shut up! He’s fine. 10.47.05 Cynthia Subtitles Which one are you talking about? 10.47.08 Nell Subtitles The one you know. How many do I have? 10.47.12 Narrator Nell is HIV positive and has three children. When she was pregnant she was told how to reduce the risk to her unborn children. None of them have contracted the virus. 10.47.22 Cynthia Isn’t the baby the last? 10.47.25 Nell No, this one is my last one but I want him stay. I mean, I’m human, I have feelings. 10.47.30 Cynthia Just stay like me, I mean, you know last time when I had sex, when was it, two thousand and three. 10.47.37 Nell The responsibility doesn’t only lie on me; it also lies on my partner. 10.47.43 Cynthia So after everything, the condom broke, what did you do? 10.47.47 Nell We stopped. 10.47.49 Cynthia And then? 10.47.51 Nell He hasn’t gone for a HIV test, he doesn’t want to. He’s always telling me he’s assuming he might be HIV positive. 10.48.00 Cynthia And then what… 10.48.01 Nell Sometimes I have a feeling he knows he’s, his status but he doesn’t want to tell me. 10.48.09 Cynthia Take care of yourself, I love you so much. I can’t bear to lose you. 10.48.15 Music 10.48.25 Narrator Across the world in India, Venilla has one last appointment. After hours of nervous waiting she’s back at the clinic with Maliga and Cavias for the HIV results. 10.48.45 Maliga Subtitles I have been very frightened. I’m afraid that my daughter could have it, just like me. Please look at the result and tell me what it is. 10.48.55 Narrator Vanilla checks the results; they could change Cavias life forever. Worldwide less than five percent of children with HIV get the drugs they need to survive. 10.49.06 Venilla Subtitles According to the results, your daughter doesn’t have it. 10.49.09 Maliga Subtitle Oh, I am so happy! 10.49.11 Venilla Subtitle Yes, I thought as much. Maliga Subtitle Thank God. 10.49.16 Venilla Subtitles I could tell you were worried before the test. But now I see a smile on your face. 10.49.20 Maliga Subtitle I was in tears before. 10.49.24 Venilla Voice over I was really frightened for them before the test. I’m so happy it’s negative. 10.49.37 Narrator Venilla can finally head home. 10.49.46 Venilla Subtitles You’re reading aloud well today! Let’s sit down together. 10.50.00 Sanjit Subtitle Mummy, look here. 10.50.02 Venilla Subtitles Get your diary and let’s see what you’ve written. 10.50.07 Venilla Voice over In my life it’s seeing my son each day that gives me happiness. 10.50.15 Venilla Subtitle A computer never makes… 10.50.16 Sanjit Subtitle Mistakes! 10.50.19 Venilla Voice over I’m extremely confident they’ll discover a cure for Aids in the next five years. I really believe this wholeheartedly. 10.50.30 Venilla Voice over We have lots of information about HIV now. We’ll be fine from now on. 10.50.36 Music 10.50.40 Graphic More than 15 million children around the world have lost one or both parents to AIDS-related illnesses Source: UNICEF 10.50.54 Narrator While Venilla settles down with Sanjit, Pheap’s off to see her daughter. 10.50.58 Music 10.51.04 Pheap Voice over I’m very excited because I haven’t seen my daughter for many months. 10.51.10 Narrator Pheap feels awkward visiting her daughter unless she can give something to the childminder she lives with. 10.51.18 Pheap Voice over I’m buying this sugared potato for my daughter; it’s all I can afford because I don’t have much money. 10.51.29 Pheap Subtitles Come closer. No need to comb her hair. I miss you so much. Do you miss me? 10.51.43 Pheap Voice over I’m very happy to see my daughter because I haven’t seen her for four or five months. 10.51.52 Childminder Subtitles She is not well. I bought medicine for her. But she still has a fever and is coughing. 10.52.06 Pheap Voice over I used to call her Nen; she used to be very plain, she became prettier when she became plump so then we called her Piggy. 10.52.19 Pheap Subtitle Please look after her. 10.52.21 Childminder Subtitles Don’t worry – I know how to take care of her. If I didn’t, she wouldn’t be alive now. 10.52.41 Narrator As darkness falls Pheap and her friends head back to the Banyan tree. 10.52.48 Pheap Subtitles It’s very cold. We all need a blanket. Hey look! This is our blanket. 10.53.03 Pheap Voice over I hope I’ll be cured of this disease one day then I’ll try my best to get a job and then I’ll have money and live happily with my child all the time. I try not to get angry or worry; if I do I’ll get weaker and the disease will get worse so I try not to think of anything bad and to stay cheerful all the time. 10.53.30 Music 10.53.32 Narrator On the other side of the world Rustem ends his Friday night by visiting an old haunt. 10.53.37 Rustem Subtitles How are things, guys? How’s life? How long you’ve been living here? 10.53.56 Boy Subtitle Three months. 10.54.02 Rustem Voice over The street gives you freedom but it changes you terribly. Gradually you start stealing, you can’t remember when you became so cruel as to steal from old women and beat up men. 10.54.17 Narrator On the way home he passes the entrance to the underground bunker he visited a few days ago. 10.54.26 Narrator Voice over I have no idea what happened here; the cement is still wet. 10.54.31 Narrator The bunker’s been sealed up. No one knows what’s happened to his friends. 10.54.38 Rustem Voice over No one cares about street kids; that’s why they’re forced to steal and even kill. As for HIV in their lives they have no idea about it at all. It doesn’t bother me either; I have other things to worry about. 10.54.58 Music 10.55.08 Shawn We are at the Satellite Ballroom in Charlottesville Virginia checking out a band called Bella Morte. 10.55.16 Gwen The band is something that I do, I manage them. It’s been a really good experience for me to do something non-Aids related. 10.55.27 Shawn Gwen’s the only person doing something non-related to Aids means managing a Death Rock band. 10.55.32 Gwen Yeah, yeah, you know. 10.55.34 Music 10.55.41 Shawn Bella Morte is Italian for Beautiful Death so when I met them I talked to them about some of my experiences with HIV and you know near death experiences so they were kind of fascinated by me on that level. 10.55.54 Singer I would like to send this one out to Shawn and Gwen who’ve been so fucking good to us lately. This is for you guys. 10.56.02 Music 10.56.09 Shawn If I start dragging my feet Gwen’s there to push me along so I’m in, I’m in safe hands with my medical care, with my partner, with feeling comfortable with who I am and my place in the world. Whatever I decide to do. 10.56.26 Music 10.56.34 Singer Thank you. 10.56.40 Narrator It’s show time in one of Rio’s gay clubs. 10.56.44 Hanah Subtitles My name is the Queen Lady Muse Hanah Suzarte. 10.56.50 Man Subtitles The more make-up I put on, the more my wrinkles show up! 10.56.54 Hanah Subtitles I never take my make-up off. I put it on on a Friday and take it off on a Sunday. 10.56.59 Man Subtitles Really? I’d turn into a pizza if I slept with all that make-up on 10.57.07 Hanah Subtitles I sleep, I wake. I use lots of pillows and I sleep mummified. 10.57.20 Singing Subtitles I came back to our home You never came back Welcome back 10.57.32 Narrator Friday the twenty-second of July is drawing to a close and it’s time for Hanah to take centre stage. 10.57.45 Hanah singing Subtitles Then in that moment I finally fell in love and found happiness We escape into a life of passion without reason 10.57.54 Hanah Voice over It’s very hard to live with Aids. 10.57.56 Singing 10.58.02 Hanah Voice over So this is the message I wish to send. Be more affectionate and tolerant. Because all we want is to live, to live like human beings and be loved. 10.58.17 Hanah singing Subtitles I’m sorry, Mummy, I found out I’m not the son you wanted me to be I’m sorry, Mummy, I found out I’m gay but I’m happy 10.58.32 Applause 10.58.41 End music 10.58.42 Voice over For more information on tonight’s programme you can visit our web site on: www.bbc.co.uk/thisworld Credits 10.58.41 Narration ANDREW LINCOLN Original Music NIRAJ CHAG BOTSWANA DARREN CONWAY HANNAH GRIFFITHS BRAZIL GUILLERMO GALDOS CECILIA HUE CAMBODIA ASHOK PRASAD INDIA RUHI HAMID UKRAINE DEAN JOHNSON SARAH WALDRON USA NICK READ Colourist PERRY GIBBS Dubbing Mixer KARL MAINZER Online Editor NICK KAMPA Graphics LYNN WILSON Production Team LADONNA HALL EMMA HILL CHRISTOPHER STOTT LAURA GOODEY Production Manager JANE WILLEY Unit Manager SUSAN CRIGHTON Film Research NICK DODD Research SUKI JOHAL MARINA DE BRITO Picture Editors DAMIAN LEASK IAN CORCORAN MARK EASTON BETH SOLOMON Assistant Producers HANNAH GRIFFITHS OLLY BOOTLE Producer SARAH WALDRON Series Producer KIRAN SONI 10.58.50 Voice over After Living Positive was made we brought Hanah, Pheap, Venilla, Shawn and Cynthia together in London to share their experiences. The film of this extraordinary meeting and the unexpected turn of events in London can be seen tomorrow night at seven on BBC4. 10.59.07 THIS WORLD Editor KAREN O’CONNOR BBC © BBC MMV 10.59.10 End BBC This World: Living Positive 1 1