Organization: Princess Margaret Hospital
Region: Asia and the Pacific Islands
Nationality: United Kingdom
Country: Hong Kong, SAR of China
Interests & expertise: Ageing with HIV
Profession or occupation: Healthcare worker/social service provider
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
The year 2017 was inspiring. I had an opportunity to learn narrative therapy, which helps detach a person's identity from the challenges they face. When I watched the movie, Beauty and the Beast, I could see Ashman's metaphor for AIDS with my narrative lens. I could identify with people living with HIV who struggle a lot with how people see them instead of how people know them. This inspired me to help people living with HIV tell a different story, hopefully a different identity, of themselves.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
I would like to fight against HIV-related stigma by helping the public see how people living with HIV are in no way different from anyone else. Particularly, I would like to raise awareness of health inequalities that people ageing with HIV face. My experience was that people ageing with HIV in Hong Kong were denied the right to choose care homes that they enjoy as some care home providers rejected their application due to their HIV status. This is not work that could be done with psychological treatment alone, but chances are that building up a strong alliance with stakeholders as an IAS change maker might start a new journey.