By Ansu Kamara and Patrick Gogoe
Karnplay, Nimba County–A woman living with HIV in Karnplay says her confidential medical status was disclosed without her consent, triggering widespread stigma that upended her livelihood, education and social life, according to accounts from the woman and people familiar with the matter.
The woman, identified as Kou to protect her privacy, said a former colleague at EQUIP shared her HIV status with members of the Karnplay community after the end of an HIV-focused project in Ganta where she had been employed.
“Even my boyfriend left me. I can’t go back to Karnplay,” she said. “Everyone points fingers at me. I had to leave everything and move to my mother’s village.”
She furthered that the disclosure led to discrimination that coerced her to abandon her small business, withdraw from the university and ultimately leave the community in 2023.
Kou previously worked with EQUIP, a health NGO, in a role typically reserved for people living with HIV. It was within the employ of the organization she said she was outed.
And it was there, she said, a former colleague—Oretha Harris, also aware of her status—had been telling residents in the area about her condition.
She mentioned that she reported the matter to the Karnplay Comprehensive Health Center, where clinicians provided counseling and invited the former colleague to a mediation session.
According to her, the colleague apologized, but no disciplinary action followed. She then took the complaint to the community chairman, who convened a traditional meeting involving both women that again ended with an apology.
Despite advice from others to pursue a formal complaint with the police, she revealed that she declined, choosing to accept the apology and move on.
That decision proved costly as the impact of the disclosure soon intensified like a raging inferno.
“Customers stopped buying the roasted meat and meat gravy I sold to support myself, effectively collapsing my small business”. She also said some hairdressers refused to braid her hair, citing fear of contracting HIV.
“When she brought her meat to sell, people refused to buy,” said a Karnplay resident who asked not to be named. “They didn’t want anything to do with her.”
People living with HIV continue to come under discrimination and harassment from the public, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum.
In 2023, Dominic Bropleh, a gay man living with HIV, accused FHI360 of outing his HIV status by deliberately placing his photo on a placard as a person living with the virus for its social and behavioral change campaign.
The organization later tried to remove the placard from across the country though its attempt was futile. And although the public health law calls for penalization, no action was taken nor was Bropleh compensated in accordance with the law.
There are 36,000 individuals living with HIV across the country, according to the National AIDS Commission. Out of that number, women like Kou and others account for two-third of those . “Women by far constitute the most affected group in Liberia’s HIV burden,” Dr. Cecelia Nuta, chairperson of the Commission said during a press conference in November 2025.
UNAIDS data underscores these concerns. Among adults aged 15–49, HIV prevalence stands at 1.2% for women, double the 0.6% for men. Translating these percentages into numbers, approximately 24,000 of Liberia’s 36,000 HIV-positive citizens are women, making them the clear majority of those affected.
Health experts point to a combination of biological, social, and economic factors as drivers of this disparity. Unequal access to healthcare, gender-based violence, poverty, and limited sexual health education for young girls and women are cited as major contributors.
Karnplay Comprehensive health Center where Kou worked as a peer navigator with EQUIP
People whose HIV status has been outed have recourse under the law. Sections 18.23, 18.24, 18.25, and 18.26 of the amended Public Health Law of the revised Liberia Code of Laws call for a fine of L$10,000, revocation or suspension of license or operating permit of license for individuals or organizations violating the confidentiality of persons or individuals living with HIV.
Not Employees, EQUIP Clarifies
The executive director of EQUIP-Liberia, Roland Suomie, said the organization is aware of the incident but highlighted that the individuals involved were volunteers and not employees.
“They received training, supervision and allowances to create awareness and do follow ups. They were not employees,” Suomie noted in a text message to journalRAGE. “EQUIP has a clear policy on confidentiality and breaching of this policy has serious consequences, including termination of contracts for employees.
He said his underling, Sam Tappiah, confirmed receiving the report of Kou. “He and other supervisors along with the HIV focal person at Karnplay Health Center investigated and intervened. I am told because of this Harriet was not allowed to volunteer with the next phase of the project being supported by Youth Alive.”
Local authorities confirmed that the matter was addressed through counseling and community mediation but acknowledged that no formal action was taken. The Karnplay Comprehensive Health Center said it provided counseling, while the community chairman facilitated dialogue between the parties. There has been no police investigation or court case related to the incident.
Stigma Hovers
Three years after the outing of her HIV status, Kou said the stigma continues to hover everywhere she goes. Employment continues to delude her everywhere she goes.
“She told me she couldn’t take a Peer Educator job because no one would work with her,” said an outreach worker with the Liberia Equality Network (LEN) in Nimba County, who has been in contact with Kou.
Kou’s case has raised concerns among advocates about violations of privacy and discrimination against People Living With HIV. Public disclosure of a person’s HIV status without consent can expose individuals to stigma, social exclusion and economic harm, undermining their dignity and access to health, education and employment, the outreach worker said.
A spokesperson for LEN said Kou’s dilemma, while it may not be isolated, is the first case they have dealt with. “This is the first one we actually dealt with. We don’t have rapid response support to at least help.”
The LEN spokesperson furthered that they have beefed up its awareness in the county to prevent the situation a la Kou from replicating.
“We have to keep providing awareness. It’s not just about her but the issue of misleading information and lack of confidentiality. We provide weekly awareness in our target areas. For her as an individual we can not do much; we tried reaching out to LIWEN but didn’t hear anything from them.”
The foreseeable looks grim for Kou who has dropped out of university and relocated to her mother’s village to abscond from the icy stares of prying eyes. “Even my boyfriend left me. I can’t go back to Karnplay. Everyone points fingers at me.
This story was funded by the European Union under the Liberia Media Empowerment Project (LMEP). Its contents are the sole responsibility of journalRAGE and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.