I almost k!lled myself after taking an HIV test openly and finding out I was positive – Joyce Dzidzor Mensah

Joyce Dzidzor Mensah, a former AIDS Ambassador and actress, recently spoke out about a terrible point in her life when she considered suicide due to heavy criticism for lying about her HIV status.

Joyce had a public HIV test after returning from Germany in June 2021 to establish her status, which she had previously denied.

The test proved her HIV-positive status, which she had previously denied until 2019. Speaking on Onua FM’s Efie Ne Fie, she revealed that the public backlash and insults pushed her to consider suicide.

Initially intending to end her life following the test, she received critical support from someone in Germany, prompting her to reconsider.

She went on to say, “I did that test with the intention that afterwards I was going to commit suicide but I changed my mind because I got help from Germany.”

The person reminded her of her children, who needed her, and encouraged her to consider the impact her death would have on them.

Mensah recognised the importance of her children’s well-being, despite her personal difficulties.

The Ghana AIDS Commission nominated her as an HIV campaigner in 2011, based on her HIV-positive status since 2007.

However, her denial of this status in 2014 resulted in her contract being terminated and a public outrage. Her choice to take the public test in 2021 was motivated by her incapacity to deal with the constant criticism.