A Six-Year-Old Girl and a Life-Changing Diagnosis
When Ailén Medina was just six years old, she first heard the word HIV. The diagnosis came after a bout of fever and swollen lymph nodes led her to a doctor in her hometown of Santa Rosa, La Pampa, a city of about 100,000 people located in the central Argentine pampas. From that moment, her childhood was no longer ordinary: constant medical check-ups, recurring illnesses, and isolation to protect her health became her daily routine.
She contracted the virus through vertical transmission, meaning it was passed from mother to child during pregnancy. Ailén's mother had been infected a year earlier, but never received information about the risk of transmitting HIV during gestation—a medical oversight that would profoundly shape both of their lives.
What Is Vertical Transmission of HIV?
Vertical transmission occurs when HIV passes from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Without preventive treatment, the risk of transmission ranges from 15% to 45%. However, with proper access to antiretroviral therapy and medical follow-up, that risk can drop to less than 2%. This is why universal HIV screening for pregnant women is a critical practice recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide.
Treatment Begins and a Severe Allergic Reaction
Doctors decided to start antiretroviral treatment when Ailén turned 10 years old. But her first medication triggered a severe allergic reaction, requiring a month-long hospitalization. The medication was suspended, and she only resumed treatment two years later, as she entered puberty.
Despite the medical hurdles, the greatest challenge turned out to be a breach of medical confidentiality. Due to a negligence, her diagnosis stopped being private and quickly became a topic of gossip across her small community. From then on, the mockery, isolation, and unfounded fear began.
Social Stigma: 'Parents Told Their Kids Not to Hang Out With Me'
Ailén recalls painfully how it was often adults who fueled the rejection: 'It was the adults who told their children not to hang out with me. Some would throw away the glass I had drunk from, they didn't want to share mate, and I even overheard very harsh comments about me,' she recounted.
The stigma also shaped her romantic life from a young age. With her first partner, she kept her diagnosis a secret for three years. When she asked him hypothetically if he would ever date someone with HIV, his response was devastating: 'I wouldn't even consider it—what if I get infected? It's too dangerous.' That answer triggered anxiety, panic attacks, and a sense of depersonalization from carrying such a heavy secret.
With her second partner, history repeated itself. Though he initially accepted her diagnosis with apparent ease, during a final argument he lashed out: 'You're going to die from your disease.' A comment that highlights just how deep misinformation and prejudice can run.
Myths About HIV That Still Persist
- ✔️ HIV cannot be transmitted by sharing mate, cups, or cutlery.
- ✔️ HIV cannot be transmitted through hugs, kisses, or casual contact.
- ✔️ A person with HIV who has an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus sexually (U=U: Undetectable = Untransmittable).
- ✔️ With proper treatment, a person living with HIV can have a similar life expectancy to someone without the virus.
Workplace Discrimination and a Dark Turning Point
Discrimination also reached the workplace. About a year ago, at her last job, co-workers created a WhatsApp group without her called "Los sin sida" ("Those Without AIDS"). Even worse, a colleague insulted her during a dispute by calling her a "sidosa" (a derogatory term for someone with AIDS). 'Even though I'm used to it, it hurt so much,' she admitted.
The weight of so many accumulated injustices led her to her darkest moment: in 2024, Ailén attempted suicide. She felt she could no longer bear a reality she never chose. Yet that episode also became a turning point—a brutal wake-up call that would eventually lead to her rebirth.
The Rebirth: From Victim to Community Advocate
After that critical moment, Ailén realized she no longer wanted to live under the shadow of HIV. Instead, she decided to turn her experience into a tool to accompany others, share reliable information, and create awareness.
'I'm focused on being a reference point for my community. It fills me with pride and gives me peace. I do it for the people who are struggling. Because we are people, and discrimination and rejection really hurt,' she explained with conviction.
Today, at 25 years old, Ailén has a clear purpose: 'Despite everything, I choose to live fully. I still have scars, the depression hasn't disappeared, but I have faith that one day I will heal.' Her message is one of hope: 'I know that together we can change this and save lives that don't deserve to keep suffering.'
The Path Forward: Information and Empathy
Misinformation remains one of the main engines of HIV-related stigma. While access to knowledge has grown over the years, myths that fuel fear and discrimination still persist. Breaking these myths not only improves the quality of life for people living with HIV, but also prevents the rejection, isolation, and violence that—as Ailén's story powerfully shows—are still far too common.