After watching 'The Polygamist', HIV awareness advocate Sam Mzingelwa reflected on the dangers of stigma and the importance of taking ARV treatment.
Image: Instagram
“Molweni Bethuna, another day, another vlog.”
Those familiar words have become synonymous with HIV activist and content creator Sam Mzingelwa, who has built a loyal following by openly sharing their journey of living with HIV.
Through their content, Mzingelwa focuses on HIV awareness, breaking stigma, encouraging people to know their status and showing that it is possible to live a full and healthy life after an HIV diagnosis.
While Netflix's "The Polygamist" continues to dominate conversations with its gripping storyline, one particular storyline struck a personal chord with Mzingelwa.
Taking to Instagram, the Influencer of the Year nominee reflected on the show's portrayal of HIV and the different ways characters responded to a diagnosis.
“As an HIV activist, the HIV storyline towards the end of the series really touched me,” Mzingelwa shared.
The content creator pointed to Jonas's struggle to accept his HIV-positive status, saying the character's denial felt familiar.
“We saw how Jonas struggled to accept his HIV positive status and lived in denial after finding out. It's normal, I've been through it myself,” they wrote.
Mzingelwa noted that Jonas turned to traditional remedies while moving away from the antiretroviral treatment prescribed to him.
In contrast, Lindani chose to take her ARVs consistently, a decision that highlighted an important lesson about living positively with HIV.
For Mzingelwa, the message was clear: “Don't let stigma kill you. Choose yourself. Prioritise yourself.”
The activist said the storyline serves as a reminder that HIV is not a death sentence. Thanks to advances in treatment, people living with HIV can lead long, healthy and fulfilling lives when they take their medication as prescribed.
Mzingelwa also offered words of encouragement to anyone struggling to come to terms with their diagnosis.
“If you're reading this and you're still feeling scared, ashamed or undecided about taking your medication, please know that you are not alone. We are in it tooooogether!”