Grandmother wants to die from old age, not HIV

Southland grandmother Jan Waddell has one wish -- she wants to die from old age and not the HIV retrovirus she got from a contaminated needle in Australia six years ago.

Until then the former nurse wants people to deal with their ignorance, learn about women with HIV, and get rid of their negative reaction and discrimination.

Mrs Waddell, 59, who with her husband runs a small lifestyle block with alpaca, goats, sheep and chickens at Mataura, 50km north of Invercargill, is one of the public faces of a campaign by Auckland HIV and Aids support group, Positive Women.

The campaign, launched in Auckland today, wants to overcome the common but misguided impression that women with HIV are different and should be feared and avoided.

"We are no different to anybody else and that's the message we want to get across," said Mrs Waddell.

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