Nicole Finkelstein it is country program manager from Aids Healthcare Foundation Mexico (AHF), a global nonprofit organization that provides medicine and care to more than one million people in more than 43 countries.
What is AHF and how does it work?
Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) works to improve the quality of care, continuous access to treatment and defends affordable prices throughout the country of medicines for patients with HIV All our services are free. We work with a four stage model. Pre-counseling, sampling, post-counseling and linking.
As director of AHF, what has been your biggest challenge?
First that the team saw me as their leader. The second, when the office fell by the tremor of 2017 and I had to rebuild another workspace.
What audience do you need to raise awareness?
To a more diverse one. Remove the myths that the HIV It is only for LGBT people.
Tell us about the documentary Under the Laurels.
We wanted people to realize that we are all exposed to HIV. We are looking for testimonials from five women with HIV who decided to share their story: how they were infected, how they discovered it and how they live. Women with HIV, because of social stigmas or because of guilt, they remain silent. The film is about the importance of following a treatment and teaches that you have to live it without shame.
What data is available in Mexico about HIV and AIDS?
Censida 2019 says there are 230 thousand cases nationwide. But that figure is not real, it is exponential, since seven out of 10 people living with HIV do not know it. Censida It only has data from the Ministry of Health, it is not a complete database.
Which are the states of the country with the highest risk?
Edomex, Veracruz, Baja California, Quintana Roo, Oaxaca.
Did you always know that your attraction was different, how did you realize?
I always knew that I didn’t like children; had one attraction to women, but I had no idea what it was called, nor what to do. I went to college at age 17 and there I met other people like me. I started going to therapyI told my mom it was because it was alcoholicI couldn’t tell him it was lesbian, it was more accepted to be an alcoholic. Leaving the closet has been a difficult process for me and my family.
NICOLE FINKELS TEIN: AHF Country Program Manager.
STUDIES: Medical by the Anahuac University. Master in Administration of Health Institutions.
AGE: 31 years.
SIGN: Leo
BY JAET BRENDA
eadp