I Purposely Got Infected with HIV for Love

A 29-year old girl from Rijeka got HIV because of unprotected sexual relations with her boyfriend, who she knew was HIV-positive.

-- I got myself infected with HIV because I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend for whom I knew was infected. I thought our love was stronger than anything and that we would pass through life together, even if we were both infected – says a 29-year-old Croatian girl, Ana S. from Rijeka. She was diagnosed six years ago. 

This young woman lives in the Central Adriatic town of Rijeka and works in a health care institution. She eats every day from her own dish in the canteen at work because her co-workers cannot rid themselves of the fear from the disease, although it is well known that the HIV virus is not transmitted via the skin, saliva or by air.

Unprotected sexual relations with infected boyfriend 

-- He was my first boyfriend. He learnt that he was infected in 1999 when he was on  military duty. He gave blood in the military. As soon as he learnt that he was infected, he told me to get tested. I did so the same day and the laboratory results showed that I was healthy – says Ana. She adds that she was not surprised by the news that her boyfriend was infected, because she knew he had been extremely promiscuous.

She decided to continue her relationship with him nonetheless, although her parents were adamantly against it. In the following two years, she says, they had regular intercourse and did not use condoms.

-- I was madly in love and he did not want to talk about his disease. He did not bother with it much. He lived fast and carefree. I think he did not know how to cope with the situation – Ana says.

The romance is over 

In 2001, new test results showed that Ana was also infected with the HIV virus. Even when she learnt that she was infected, she did not want to end the relationship. It ended several years later, not because of the disease, she says, but because of irreconcilable differences. Asked whether, as a health worker, she knew of the dangers of HIV and AIDS, Ana replied she had thought such illnesses happened to other people.

-- I knew that HIV was one of the biggest problems in Africa and the world in general. I even saw the movie “Philadelphia”, but I thought it could not happen to me – says Ana.

She admitted that she was ill only to members of her immediate family and some of her co-workers. Despite this, some people ask her mother in the street “I hear your Ana has AIDS”.

New romance with HIV-negative boyfriend

Ana is currently in a new relationship with a boyfriend who is HIV-negative. She told him of her disease at the very beginning. She says they use condoms.

-- He told me he was madly in love with me and that we will deal with everything in life together. We intend to get married and we will extend our family by artificial insemination – Ana says, adding that she does not intend to give up anything that healthy people enjoy.