Welcome to Arab HIV

Ahlan Wa Sahlan.

The purpose of this site is to reach out to members of Arab communities worldwide who are affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In the Arab world there has been a deafening silence on the part of governments in specific and society in general when it comes to that issue. This is due in part to the social stigma attached to the disease in light that it is primarily a Sexually Transmited Disease (STD). With the exception of major urban areas, discussion of sexual issues rarely occurs in public. Denial seems to be the order of the day. HIV figures coming from the various public health authorities are extremely conservative and unreliable. Patients are reluctant to get tested for the virus out of fear of social reprecussion. Furthermore, government treatment of HIV positive people has on many occasions been unhuman and ignorant. Some countries have deported patients, others have faced more brutal and inhumane treatment including murder.

Fact is HIV is no longer a death sentence and that people can learn to live with it and keep it under control. New drugs and therapies are being introduced quite frequently. Scientist are hopeful and estimate a vaccine for HIV to be available within years. For those who are already infected, there is talk of drugs being developed that would help the body to totally get rid of the virus. Thus, it is extremely important to get tested as soon as possible. The earlier you know, the better off you are. Fighting the virus at the early stages is easier than catching later when it might have done some serious damage to your immune system.

We hope through this site to start changing attitudes regarding HIV and to also provide support to those affected by it. If you are an Arab who is HIV positive or if you know someone who is, we welcome you here. There is no judgment here, no blame. We are all here to support each other in order to survive this epidemic.

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