Mercy was brought to TTF by one of our community volunteers back in 2011 as she was pregnant and didn't know her HIV status. When she was tested and it came out positive she was incredibly scared about what that meant for her unborn child. The Clinical and Social team at TTF worked with Mercy to quickly get her enrolled onto HIV treatment (ART) and supported her with counselling and antenatal help to ensure the risk of transmission to her child, and thankfully her child tested as negative.
So when she found out she was pregnant again in early 2015 she came to the clinic to talk to one of our counsellors. Our clinic team undertook medical tests and found she was taking her medication very well and the virus was supressed within her body, minimising the risk of transmission during pregnancy. We provided her with a hamper of birthing equipment which she could take to the hospital with her when she eventually went to in to labour to reduce the risk of tranmission during birth and then we helped her with antenatal care to reduce the risk of tranmission during breast feeding.
So when she found out she was pregnant again in early 2015 she came to the clinic to talk to one of our counsellors. Our clinic team undertook medical tests and found she was taking her medication very well and the virus was supressed within her body, minimising the risk of transmission during pregnancy. We provided her with a hamper of birthing equipment which she could take to the hospital with her when she eventually went to in to labour to reduce the risk of tranmission during birth and then we helped her with antenatal care to reduce the risk of tranmission during breast feeding.
"I FELT GOOD WHEN I FOUND OUT GODWIN WAS NEGATIVE BECAUSE I WAS FEARFUL I WOULD NEED TO TEACH HIM HOW TO TAKE HIS MEDICINE LIKE I DO WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS EASY"
"TTF have been a real support to me during both of my recent pregnancies, and in helping all of my family. The government clinics are overcrowded. At TTF they teach you a lot about medicine and the importance of taking it at the same time. They have helped me and my family and also provide us with condoms to protect my husband from infection. They have come to the house and tested all of my children, who are all negative.
When I found out Godwin was negative I felt great because I was fearful of the burden of him having to take his medication in the way that I do. I would have had to teach him to adhere to his medicine which is not always easy. There is also a lot of stigma around HIV in the community so I worried if he was positive who would take care of him.
I want the best for all of my children, they are currently all in school and I hope that when they are older they can all get good jobs and have healthy families of their own. I only got to grade 9 and am currently not working because I am caring for my family but with the help from TTF all of my children are healthy and now can go to school and be successful."
When I found out Godwin was negative I felt great because I was fearful of the burden of him having to take his medication in the way that I do. I would have had to teach him to adhere to his medicine which is not always easy. There is also a lot of stigma around HIV in the community so I worried if he was positive who would take care of him.
I want the best for all of my children, they are currently all in school and I hope that when they are older they can all get good jobs and have healthy families of their own. I only got to grade 9 and am currently not working because I am caring for my family but with the help from TTF all of my children are healthy and now can go to school and be successful."
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