A Nigerian man, Salisu Ahmed, has shared his personal journey of living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for 31 years.
In an interview with reality star Doyin David, the 66-year-old recounted how he contracted the virus after his first extramarital affair.
Ahmed detailed the significant challenges he faced during his struggle with HIV, including societal stigma that led to his exclusion from communal facilities.
He described being denied access to shared bathrooms and losing his teaching position due to his health status.
In addition, he experienced personal loss as his wife and children left him, exacerbating his isolation.
“I am Salisu Ahmed, I have been living with this virus for 31 years. The first experiment of going outside my matrimonial home is how it happened,” he explained. He noted that a substantial percentage of people living with HIV contract the virus through sexual intercourse.
In a remarkable turn of events, Ahmed has since been cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant at the City of Hope Medical Center in the United States.
According to a statement from the center, he entered remission after stopping antiretroviral therapy and became the fourth person globally—and the oldest—to achieve long-term remission from HIV, thanks to stem cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation.
