After years of campaigning for HIV awareness, popular AIDS ambassador, Joyce Dzidzor Mensah has denied that she is HIV positive.
She says ”I am not HIV positive, but I did confess that I was for the sake of those who are really HIV positive”.
The AIDS Ambassador for many years, had claimed that she was an HIV patient.
She had been invited to speak on several occasions by churches, schools, crusades, companies and seminars both within and outside the country.
Joyce has even written a book and acted a movie which explained how she contracted the virus. In the movie, starring John Dumelo, she indicated that she came from a poor family and after her BECE, had no money to further her education.
She had claimed she contracted the virus through the director in her church. It was this time that she met a man of God who decided to sponsor her music career. Joyce at this stage told her story to people and made a CD out of it.
By this reason, she became an AIDS Ambassador and travelled to other countries to share her story.
But speaking on several media platforms Monday, December 15, 2014, Joyce has confessed that she lied regarding her status and has rendered an apology to the whole world.
She has also indicated that the Ghana AIDS Commission and other organisations she’s worked with had no knowledge of her true status.
The controversial ambassador when asked if she’d thought of the legal implications says she is ready to face any legal action resulting from her confession.
According to her, she and her children have been through a lot of stigmatisation on account of her alleged status and it is time for the truth to come out.
Meanwhile persons living with HIV have expressed dismay at the deception.
One member of the Association of Persons Living with HIV AIDS has suggested that the “confession” is a bad step taken by Joyce in reaction to the termination of her contract with the Ghana AIDS Commission.
He insisted that the confession could not be a PR gimmick and suggested that she be interrogated to uncover the truth of the matter, especially since she has been receiving treatment for HIV for several years.
