Emma Tuahepa

Emma Touny Waundjua Tuhepha (born 11 December 1974) is a Namibian HIV/AIDS activist. In 1996, she was the first Namibian woman to state publicly that she was HIV-positive. She became a high-profile activist for HIV/AIDS awareness and her efforts paid off, as anti-retroviral drugs soon arrived to treat Namibians with HIV/AIDS. QUOTES "I wanted to be married and have a child, and that marriage did not work out [when] my in-laws said they wouldn't marry an HIV-positive woman who could not deliver babies. Emma Tuahepa, "I didn't want her to appear in the newspapers ... the day she was born" retrieved on 26 January 2009 "Of course ... having children meant I was putting their son in danger by infecting him. We had planned to go for artificial insemination, but I think this information was not communicated to my in-laws.Emma Tuahepa, "I didn't want her to appear in the newspapers ... the day she was born" retrieved on 26 January 2009 I did it because of my sisters. When I first found out about being infected with the AIDS virus I just wanted to commit suicide. But then I thought about my three younger sisters and I wanted to save them from the same fate. I wanted to warn them that it could happen to them like it happened to me.Because I want to live: An interview with Emma Tuahepa Kamapoha;Sister Namibia; Windhoek 12, Iss. 1,retrieved on(Mar 31, 2000) I was lucky to have a counsellor who helped me to break the news at home, so I didn't have to face them alone. He helped my family to understand and accept what has happened and to support me. Still it was hard for some of my relatives, especially when I came out in the media. They said I was bringing shame onto the family name and worried about what other people wouldsay .Because I want to live: An interview with Emma Tuahepa KamapohaSister Namibia; Windhoek 12, Iss. 1,retrieved on (Mar 31, 2000) EXTERNAL LINKS Category:Women from Namibia