Personal story: Siyabonga

"I broke my virginity when I was 17. It was an amazing experience, but it turned out to be the worst decision I ever made.

I met up with my boyfriend at a hotel which he booked for us just to have "fun". We were dating for three weeks, and I trusted him to a point where I was ready to let him break my virginity. It was around 7PM, after we watched a movie, we started kissing and touching. I was really feeling him and he was feeling me too. He asked if I was ready and I said yes – I did not even look if he had a condom on or not… it was good though.

After a few months I started experiencing some symptoms. I went to the doctor and she told me I was pregnant and HIV positive! I couldn't believe it... I wanted to commit suicide, but I didn't. Now my boyfriend has left me and I'm left with my four-month baby boy whom I love so much and I'm using medicine to survive.

LADIES, always make sure that you put a condom on or see if it’s on before indulging in sex!!! Always protect yourself."

What we say

It’s important to talk to your partner about sex and condoms before getting intimate, so that you are on the same page. For Siyabonga, she is now on treatment and can work on living healthily with her son going forward. Check out our pages on preventing pregnancy and protecting yourself from HIV for more information.

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These personal stories have been submitted to us anonymously by individuals who use our site. Some of the stories have been edited for clarity purposes and names have been changed to protect identities.

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