It can start with a barrage of unsolicited recitations of biblical verses. With health workers and others telling a person their life is blasphemous — or even threatening to call the police.
That’s what can happen when someone from the LGBTQ+ communities, sex workers, and those using drugs visits a health facility.
And ultimately, it’s this judgement and fear of arrest that’s driven many away from health systems despite situations where they’re at high risk of contracting HIV.
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About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
