Gideon Mendel August 5, 2008

Gideon Mendel in Mexico: ‘I pray. But not for myself’

Mexico is hosting the first Latin American World Aids Conference this week. But what is life there like for people with the disease? Nine HIV-positive people tell their stories, accompanied by their own snapshots. Main portraits by Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Ramón García Segura, 40: "Eighteen years ago, I was working in a laboratory, and it was in that very place that I tested myself for HIV. The result was positive. It was hard for me to accept the news, since I always wanted to create a solid home. The hardest thing to accept was my family’s behaviour. They value money, and since I used to have plenty of it, they treated me well. Now they refuse to give me their support" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel HIV/Aids Mexico — Continued: "All these years of living with the virus have taught me to become more mature and to work on my feelings. Among my future plans, I want to enter the university, study chemistry and then teach" Photograph: Ramón García Segura

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Ilsa Aguilar, 18: "I wish my family understood me better, but we became estranged when I told them I was gay and that I liked to dress as a woman. At that time, I didn’t want to live any more. I didn’t take care of myself, and that included not only failing to wear condoms, but also not eating properly. I lost weight until I got sick and ended up at the hospital, where they administered an HIV test. I was 16 years old" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "It was harder for my parents to learn that I had HIV than to discover that I was transgender. The first time I dressed as a woman, I felt I was another person. My gestures no longer provoked laughter. I don’t care any longer about the way others react. No matter what I do, I am a person who matters" Photograph: Ilsa Aguilar

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Margarita 'Margos' Dionisi, 41: "I've been married for 19 years and have been living with HIV for the past seven. Before being diagnosed I was the typical housewife who takes care of her husband and children. I'm now also a vendor. I sell candy on the street. And I also give talks to fellow HIV-positive people. HIV has taught me that life goes on and there's always a tomorrow" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "I give thanks for all the good and bad things that have happened to me. I pray for my family but I don't pray for my health, because I'm not going to relinquish to anyone else the power that is in my own hands" Photograph: Margarita Dionisi

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Martín Zúñiga, 39: "When the doctor told me that we needed to discuss the results of my blood test, I already knew I was positive; Alfredo, my lover, had already been diagnosed. But his disappearance was even worse than learning I was HIV-positive. We had lived together for five years. One afternoon he called to tell me he was coming home. He never arrived. Seven years have gone by, and I still haven't heard a word from him" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "I have never suffered from living with HIV. My daily life has not changed and I'm still working. For some time I was a professional dancer, but the struggle between dancing and working forced me to abandon this activity. Each of my images depicts a footprint in time, a mark left by the environment or by society. The cars, houses and trees in my photographs keep their essence despite these marks. Their condition may not look appealing, but we cannot change it" Photograph: Martín Zúñiga

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Magda Padilla, 47: "Over five years ago, I was diagnosed with HIV. Before then, my life was no different from that of any other housewife. I consider myself to be a strong woman, but if you are told that you have a disease and that you are dying from it at age 40, with small children, the blow is devastating" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "Once the initial fears and symptoms were past, I became aware of the deficiencies in the medical services. This "discovery" turned me into an activist, which means something more than distributing condoms: we have to re-educate ourselves about our fundamental rights. It was at this moment that I realised all the potential I have as a woman. My life is a continuous learning experience. I feel fulfilled" Photograph: Magda Padilla

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Alejandro Albino, 34: "I am an electrician and I have been living with HIV for the past 15 years. It doesn’t matter if the virus came to my life or if I went out looking for it. I just live like anybody else. I love doing exercise, not only because it is good for my health, but also because I always wanted to have the body of a wrestler" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "The years I have spent living with HIV have taught me to be more humble, respectful and humane. My greatest satisfaction now is to help other people get medical care. We who live with HIV do not ask for special privileges, only that our rights be respected" Photograph: Alejandro Albino

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Ilian Reyes, 34: "I am a hairdresser. I love combing and cutting hair, and making people up. I have a strong character, but there’s a part of me that feels very bothered and hurt, because I thought I could count on all my family’s support. Nevertheless, today I see an Ilian who is more sure of herself, who wants to face the world and say that HIV is just one more experience that can be transcended" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "Photography awakened my consciousness and my sensitivity to the things that surround us. I noticed shapes, colors and diversity. I am very drawn to butterflies because of the metamorphosis I initiated in myself, to finally be free" Photograph: Ilian Reyes

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Roberto Marmolejo, 41: "I’m very committed to my health now because it was difficult for me to regain it. I have learned that in spite of the infection, it is not so difficult to live, if you really put your mind to it" Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "I’m a very lucky guy because I’ve always had the support of my relatives, friends and colleagues at work. They know HIV is a viral, not a moral, infection. I’m still alive, I can love and give pleasure, because although happiness is not forever, neither are sadness and depression" Photograph: Roberto Marmolejo

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Silvia Carmona, 39: "I have been living with HIV for 15 years. When I received the diagnosis I felt like I was already dying. I thought of my three children and imagined I was losing them. I was the typical downtrodden housewife. I had endured my husband’s machismo and bisexuality, but I said to myself: 'Silvia, you have to move on. You can’t just stand still waiting for death to come.' " Photograph: Gideon Mendel

Gideon Mendel Mexico HIV/Aids — Continued: "Over time I have become an activist, helping people at the hospital. I work more with women, building on my own experience. That is what gives me strength, fighting for the rights of people living with HIV" Photograph: Silvia Carmona

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