This is a picture of a HIV-positive woman in South Africa. She is supported by Raphael Centre in Grahamstown, South Africa. The Raphael Centre is an important community initiative, providing care and support to people with AIDS, supporting and developing community action, and through the openness of the HIV positive people involved with the centre, fighting the stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease. The centre was started by local volunteers in 1999, and is based in a house in the centre of Grahamstown. For a while, it provided a limited service of support for people with AIDS. Then AVERT became involved at the end of 2001, providing financial support as well as practical help and advice. Since then the Centre has employed staff, widened its services, directly supports more people with AIDS, and has taken education into the wider community.More about HIV and AIDS in South Africa and the Raphael Centre can be found at www.avert.org/aidsinafrica.htm

This photo is part of a larger HIV and AIDS picture gallery. For more HIV and AIDS photos visit http://www.avert.org/historyi.htm

Please note, that this picture of HIV-positive woman is copyrighted. If you wish to use it or any part of it on your site, or in any other way, please ask permission from the copyright holder. The contact details of the copyright holders can be found here.

Photo credit: �AVERT/M. Pelser