When Anna was diagnosed with HIV, she was overwhelmed with fear and uncertainty. Originally from Africa, she has always been told that an HIV diagnosis was a life sentence. In her home country, the stigma and lack of information about HIV/AIDS often left people feeling hopeless, beyond help. But her journey took a different turn when she discovered Positiiviset HivFinland, an organization that supports individuals living with HIV in Finland.
Discovering Positiiviset HivFinland
Anna first learned about Positiiviset through a nurse at the hospital where she received her diagnosis. The nurse, whose name Anna still remembers for her professional manner, gave her a phone number and encouraged her to reach out. When Anna called, she spoke to Jenni, one of the organization’s peer support members. “Her voice was calm and nice,” Anna recalls, “She just asked me to visit the meeting place in Kamppi.”
Despite her initial apprehension, Anna agreed. Her biggest fear was seeing other people from her home country. The stigma associated with HIV in her community is overbearing, and she was terrified of being in contact with her countrymen.
First contact and impressions
Anna’s first visit to Positiiviset was a turning point. She was surprised by the warm, welcoming atmosphere. “I asked if there were gonna be many people,” she said, “Jenni reassured me it was going to be a private meeting and this helped me feel more comfortable.”
Before coming to Positiiviset, Anna believed that having HIV was a death sentence. “In Africa, we believe if you have AIDS, there is no going back. You are done.” But through the information and support she received at Positiiviset, Anna began to realize that this wasn’t at all true. The organization helped her understand that with proper treatment and support, people with HIV can lead long and healthy lives.
A new perspective
One of the most significant moments for Anna was meeting S., a woman who has been living with HIV for 30 years. “At the hospital, I was just scared,” Anna explains, “but after meeting Suvi, I started to hope. She is living 30 years with HIV, and she is doing great.” This encounter gave Anna a new perspective on her diagnosis and a sense of hope for her own future.
Anna admits that although the hospital staff treated her very well, her time there was filled with fear and anxiety. “At the hospital, all I got was a diagnosis of AIDS,” she says. It was only after coming to Positiiviset that she began to see beyond the diagnosis and started to focus on life and about how to live.
Advice to Other Foreigners Living with HIV
For other foreigners living in Finland who might be struggling with an HIV diagnosis no matter how recently they were diagnosed, Anna has one simple message: “Come and visit. They will know they now have a family.” She emphasizes the importance of finding a community that understands and supports you, especially when so far away from home.
Additional Challenges
As an asylum seeker, Anna faces more challenges than learning to live with HIV. She is currently seeking support with her application to stay in the country and find employment. Finnish language courses are finally starting after a long wait and now she hopes to receive assistance with job applications as a cleaner or personal assistant while learning Finnish. Despite these hurdles ahead, she remains hopeful and determined. ‘’I am excited school is starting!’’ she admits to me while a tiny grin is forming.
When I asked Anna what she would wish for if she had a magic wand, Anna without hesitation wished to remove HIV from her life and to have her children with her in Finland. These desires underscore the emotional and practical challenges that many asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants living with HIV face, particularly those who are separated from their families, struggle to learn a new language, comprehend and adjust to a culture so different from their own.
The key to a heart in healing
Anna feels safe and welcomed at Positiiviset, but she hopes to see even more encouragement and connection within the community. “I might look healthy now, but I am sick at heart,” she says, expressing a desire for more people to reach out to her. She longs to hear more stories of how others have moved on with their lives, providing her with reassurance and inspiration to carry on. Listening to her words, which deeply touched my own heart, I recognized once more that ‘’connection’’ is one of the keys towards healing.
“Coming here is like coming to my peace.”
A place of peace
When asked what word comes to mind when she thinks of Positiiviset, Anna responds, “Coming here is like coming to my peace.” For Anna, Positiiviset is not just a support group—it’s a place of peace, hope, and connection. Through the warmth and understanding of the staff and peers, Anna is finding more and more the strength to face her diagnosis with courage and optimism.
Positiiviset has given Anna more than just information and support; it has given her a sense of belonging in a place where only feelings of loss, grief and separation used to exist. Her journey with HIV in Finland is a testament to the power of community, empathy, and the belief that life can still be very worth living, even in the face of adverse challenges.
You can read more information about HivFinland’s support and counselling services here.
You can contact us by calling (09 692 5441), via e-mail (positiiviset@positiiviset.fi), or by sending a message in WhatsApp (+358 44 750 7460). We are here for you.