HIV dilemma for celebs

THE sudden death of actress Lesego Motsepe has brought into sharp focus the difficulties that are sometimes faced by celebrities and other prominent figures who choose to publicly reveal their HIV-positive status.

When Motsepe - who was popularly known as Letti Matabane, the character she played in the soapie Isidingo - revealed that she was living with HIV, she was universally hailed for her bravery.

Her "coming out", it was stated, would go a long way to destigmatise the disease in a country where millions still equate living with the virus to a death sentence. Without doubt, prominent figures like Motsepe and others who have done so have contributed immensely to changing public attitudes towards people living with HIV/Aids.

Sadly, some have done so at a huge cost to their careers and personal lives. Two years after revealing her status, Motsepe was said to have fallen on hard times, with no acting jobs coming her way.

Evidence suggests she was not the only HIV-positive celebrity to be shunned by the entertainment industry. Socialite Koyo Bala, who revealed his positive status 18 months ago, says production houses "used to hire me all the time" but now ignore him.

Although we commend Motsepe for her bravery, it is sad that she later chose to end her antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and switch to a controversial "holistic" diet. Despite scientific proof that the drugs do help to prolong the lives of those living with the virus, Motsepe appears to have been convinced by the likes of the late health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who condemned ARV drugs as toxic.

We cannot say for certain that she would not have died had she continued the treatment, but the average increase in life expectancy in South Africa since the roll-out of ARVs suggests they could have prolonged her life, too.