HIV; Home outreach to PLWA;

Second home visit is to Lux Sophal, a 32-year-old entertainment worker in a restaurant, and her 12-month-old child Khun Sreypheap. The lady has 4 children in total. She is HIV-positive as well as his 13 year-old son, whom we see further on in the photos as well.

Sophal was married three times. Her first husband was HIV free. She suspects her 13-year-old son got infected either by her sister, who breast-fed him (not uncommon in Cambodian society), or during an operation of his ear and/or penis. The sister died of HIV in 2006. The boy's CD4 got as low as 7 and he was seriously ill. Sophal felt such a pity on him and felt very depressed. Today, the kid feels like any other person. But their status is a secret. Even though the slums where they live is relatively tolerant toward HIV because many HIV-infected people live here, there is still a lot of stigma and we need to be discrete: when people in the neighbourhood ask about why we are here, Sophal says we're from her son's school.

Sophal got tested for HIV at the same time as her eldest son in 2008. Both tested positive. Note: this somewhat contradicts her statement above on how her son got infected.

Sophal's second husband was taxi driver and HIV-positive. She met him at the restaurant, where she does the entertainment work.

12-month-old Sreyreap has been tested once so far and is (still) HIV-negative. They got treatment to prevent infected from mother to child, a service provided through GF-financing. The kids get formula milk.

Sophal joined an HIV support group, who meet once every quarter (no photos).

Sophal starts working at the restaurant from 18:00-0:00, but we are not allowed to shoot there: she is not comfortable as it may endanger her job, which is to oversee the work of other EWs at the restaurant. Her status is not known there and she wants to keep it that way.