Join our band of heroes in the battle against Aids

Every single South African can be a hero in the fight against Aids.

Today, the Sunday Times is asking each person who reads the stories on this page to take an HIV test and to get five others to do the same. Ask each of those five to get another five to do the same, and so on. Some 25-million people need to be tested for South Africa to get a true picture of HIV prevalence. This number could be reached by World Aids Day on December 10 if you get involved in this campaign.

The first step in diminishing the impact of this disease is to know your status. If you are HIV-negative, you can take steps to stay that way. If you are HIV-positive, you need to take care of your health and think about disclosing your status to your loved ones.

HIV is no longer a death sentence. But the silence and stigma around the disease very often is. Treatment is available, yet so many people are afraid to be tested until it is too late. Don’t let that happen to anyone you know.

Use this campaign as an opportunity to talk to your friends, family , colleagues and community about HIV and how to prevent it, how to manage it, and how to offer support and understanding to those who are HIV-positive.

The campaign is backed by the acting Minister of Health, Jeff Radebe, and the Deputy Health Minister, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge.

Leaders from all sectors of society have signed up to be champions of the campaign. We’d like YOU to be one too.

HOW TO BE A CHAMPION

1. Take an HIV test and get five other people to do so too.

2. Make it clear that no one has to disclose the results of the test.

3. Tell us your stories — tell us why you decided to join the campaign, how you felt when you took the test.

We would like you to tell us of experiences that you have while participating in the campaign.

Send your stories — with pictures, if possible — to reach5@sundaytimes.co.za

4. Send your name and the names of your five people to reach5@sundaytimes.co.za so that we can publish a list of South Africans who have taken part. This will happen around World Aids Day. Please note: We do not want to know any test results.

5. Everyone has an audience. Find a way to take this campaign into your constituency — whether it is your home, a listed company, a religious institution, a university, a school, an office, a shop. We would welcome the involvement of other media in this campaign. — Mondli Makhanya, editor