Watch inspiring stories from men who have HIV

 Lucky's story

When Lucky discovers he has HIV he is angry, embarrassed and wants to commit suicide. He starts drinking and just hanging out until he discovers he has a second chance at life. With guidance and mentorship from Coach Mpilo he learns how to live a normal life with HIV. With his newfound purpose he too becomes a Coach.

Lucky's story continued

When Lucky discovers he has HIV he is angry, embarrassed and wants to commit suicide. He starts drinking and just hanging out until he discovers he has a second chance at life. With guidance and mentorship from Coach Mpilo he learns how to live a normal life with HIV. With his newfound purpose he too becomes a Coach.

Mzolisi's Story

Mzolisi is an inspiration to those struggling with HIV. His family and community discriminate against him, he drinks heavily and fails to stick to his treatment. When he learns the HIV facts and that he can live a normal life he turns it all around, emerging as a champion and an inspiration to his community.

Zama - Sharing

Zama shows us how sharing one's status with people results in instant support more than rejection.

Zama - Overcoming Fear of Death

Scared of HIV and death Zama ran away from his girlfriend when she tested positive. Later, when Zama tested positive, he learnt from the counsellor that with regular treatment life could be normal. With renewed hope he got back with his girlfriend and they have been living healthily with HIV for 18 years.

Zama's Story

Zama has achieved an HIV happy and successful life for 18 years but it hasn’t always been easy. See how he overcomes his challenges.

Simon - Denial & Stopping Treatment

He continually got sick, even ending up in hospital for 3 months, before Simon realised that he had to start believing in treatment.

Simon - Never Drop Off Treatment

Simon remains an irregular pill taker and learns the consequences, only another trip to hospital for 3 months finally helps him to grasp the importance of 'never dropping off'.

Simon - Small Treatment Effects

Simon has some treatment effects but finds out that this is because his body is responding to the treatment, his immune system was getting stronger. He sticks to his treatment and in no time the side effects are gone.

Thabo - Acceptance & Adherence

Thabo was initiatially in denial but quickly changed his mind when he thought about his long term future, started treatment and has never looked back.

Thabo - Forgiveness & Sharing

Thabo's biggest battle was to forgive himself for testing HIV positive, angry with himself, he finds solace and support talking with other people who were living with HIV.

Thabo - Overcoming fear

Thabo did initially feel that his HIV positive test meant the end of the world but he educated himself about HIV management and that changed everything forever.

Thabo - Treatment & Alcohol

Thabo talks about how his previous drunken behaviour messed up his treatment habits, listen how he made the decision to change his drinking behaviour.

Sihle's Story

Sihle learns from his brother's passing from HIV that he must overcomes his own HIV fears to ensure the same does not happen to him. He discovers that being open about his HIV journey is easier than he thought and he has the support of his girlfriend, family and community.

Zama - Adherence Benefit

Zama embraces his treatment and uses his favourite soapy to remind him to take his pill. HIs partner also uses the show to check in on his adherence.

Sihle - Sharing with family and public

Sihle shares his status with his girlfriend, then with his family. He points out that testing early, knowing his status and being able to take his treatment will result in them all living an ordinary life - unlike his brother who hid it and died.

Zama - Unifectable & Easy Impilo Collection

Life's good for Zama - taking treatment consistently means that he cannot infect anyone and collecting his treatment at pick up points instead of going to the clinic has made life easier.

Mzolisi - Adherence & Drinking

Mzolisi's heavy drinking messes up his treatment routine and soon, the virus starts to grow in his body. Realising he couldn't let drinking get in the way of his health, he starts carrying his pills and a bottle of water with him wherever he goes.

Mzolisi - Overcoming Loss and Stigma

Mzolisi's journey starts with self shame, fear and discrimination from his own family but his recovery and confidence in talking openly about living with HIV led to acceptance and respect from the very community that discriminated against him. He now gives HIV talks in the community.

Sihle - Adherence Always

When Sihle has to relocate for work he struggles to get his medication and his health deteriorates. He learns that he could have made medication transfer arrangements.

Sihle - Fear & Testing

Sihle's brother died of HIV complications. Even though he feared what others would think of him if he had HIV, he knew that if he wanted to live (rather than die in ignorance) he had to know sooner rather than later. He has been living with HIV for 11 years.

Sihle - Sharing as responsibility

Sihle shares his HIV status with his girlfriend with whom he is having unprotected sex with confidence because he is on treatment. He encourages her to test using the language of mutual support and a healthy future together.

Luyolo - Treatment

Luyolo's sister steps in to be his ARV treatment assistant until he realises and accepts the importance of consistent and regular pill taking and makes a habit out of it.

Luyolo's Story

Luyolo starts off his HIV journey with fears of losing everything he enjoyed but with the emotional and practical support of his aunt and sister everything turns out for the better. Sharing his status results in him feeling more loved than before.

Mpafane - Benefit Of Early Testing

Mpafane's partner tests positive but his fear of HIV prevents him from testing. When he becomes very ill and discovers he has HIV he blames his partner until he realises that he may have been the one with HIV all the time. He wishes he had tested earlier.

Mpafane - Support & Adherence

Mpafane thought he could hide his pills from people around him but this leads to him missing his treatment. He gets a wake up call and realises that by sharing his struggles with his family they give him the support he needs to stay on treatment.

Mpafane's Story

Mpafane's fear of HIV makes him stubborn. When his partner tells him she has HIV he refuses to test himself. A year later he finds he has HIV and still he hides his treatment trying to keep it a secret. It is hard going until he shares his struggles with his family. With their support his stress falls away and he has been living a happy life since then, for 14 years now.

Luyolo - Family Support

Luyolo is shocked to find he has HIV and fears losing his lifestyle and relationships. However, his aunt supports him and persuades others around Luyolo that there is nothing to fear, no reason to changes their view of him.

Hlubi - Support From Sharing

Still worried about sharing with certain people, Hlubi shares with his friend and father only to find it improved his relationship with both and started important health conversations with them.

Thabo's Story

The truth about HIV, facts and education, along with support from those close to you will help you overcome denial, anger, guilt and hating yourself.

Lethukukhanyo's - Never Stop Treatment

After the death of his mother and grandmother, a young man born with HIV falls into drinking with his mates and stops taking his treatment. When he ends up very ill and in the clinic he realises that his life depends on taking the treatment. He still needs motivation and he gets that from his Coach Mpilo.

Hlubi - Sharing

At first feeling ashamed and fearful to share his status with others, Hlubi comes to realise support, acceptance and healing comes from being open and sharing his truth with loved ones.

Hlubi Acceptance

Hlubi shows how loving life, himself and his family helped him accept he was living with HIV.

Hlubi Proper Adherence

After his initial recovery taking his ARV's, Hlubi slips back into his old "jolling" ways which messed up his pill taking and health, making the link between his lifestyle and health he gets back on track.

Hlubi - Unexpected support from sharing more widely

Still worried about sharing with certain people, Hlubi shares with his friend and father - only to find it improves his relationship with both and starts important health conversations with them.

Hlubi's Story

A story of triumph. After being diagnosed with TB and HIV, Hlubi realises that he has to accept what has happened to him in order to get his life back. He conquers his fears, shares his status and discovers that people around him are very willing to accept and support him. It makes the daily taking of treatment so much easier.

Siyanda's Story

Siyanda gets HIV when he sleeps with another woman and does not know how to explain it to his wife. Coach Mpilo helps him to share the news and manage the situation. His wife tests negative and Coach explains that by sticking to his treatment, Siyanda's wife can always be safe from HIV.

Simon's Story

Simon's story is not one that people need to go through if one can accept that the HIV treatment works and that it is forever and always.Listen to Simon's up and down story with his doubts about HIV treatment and see how he overcomes his doubts only to become a popular 'healthily living with HIV' champion.

Elmon & Doris' Story - Coach Mpilo provides Support to Parents

Elmon and Doris adopt a young boy living with HIV when they discover he is being neglected by his sisters. They support and encourage him, ensuring he is always on treatment but they ask Coach Mpilo to assist them in explaining to the young boy what it means to be living with HIV and why it is important to always take ones medication.