ART side effect takes apart life of minor girl

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Aug 6

A minor girl from Churachandpur district is suffering from an unusual breast enlargement believed to be a rare side effect of Efavirenz, the first line of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

Life for 17 year old Jenny (name changed) has become a daily struggle physically and mentally for the past two years, since she developed the rare side effect.

But, things got worst during the last six months when her deformity increased at a very unusual way.

Jenny who is studying in class XII standard had to even stop her schooling since then.

When Imphal Free Press first contacted Jenny’s family they initially hesitated to disclose her HIV status.

Yet, the family was apparently desperate to know the cause of the unusual physical changes that has been bothering the minor.

According to Jenny’s family she had undergone pregnancy test six times following advice from doctors.

They have been even told that the minor girl could have been suffering from cancer.

When this reporter informed of similar case occurring to a man, who was on ART, several years back, they finally found themselves in the position to be more open.

The minor girl disclosed that she started having the physical problem after taking ART two years back.

Initially, she felt discomforting and had itching sensation on her chest which continued for about a year.

After a year on ART, Jenny said that she started experiencing excruciating pain on her chest occasionally followed by enlargement of her breast.

Jenny said that when she told her relative of the problem they assumed puberty could be the cause.

With each passing days, her unusual physically anomaly was taking over her life to the extent that she finally forced herself from stepping outside of her home.

Her physical changes attracted the unwanted attention of everyone and everywhere she goes, claimed Jenny.

“Whenever I step outside I hear people talking bad about me. Some of them think that I was pregnant or I have intentionally enlarged my breast for getting attention of boys. Sometimes don’t wish to live”, she said with a trembling tone.

Jenny contracted the virus from her parents. They (Jenny’s parents) contracted the virus from their cousins who were drug users. With no background of drugs and possibilities to get HIV, the parents were believed to have contracted the virus while taking care of their sick cousins.

Jenny’s parents came to know of their status when her (Jenny) mother felt terribly ill just months before her death in 2010. The father who could not comprehend the lost of his wife turned to alcohol and passed in 2011.

Before his death, Jenny’s father had his daughter tested HIV status and found positive when she was about six years old.

Since her parents passed away, Jenny is taken care of by his maternal relatives particularly her god father A Guite.