Former AIDS Ambassador and Ghanaian actress Joyce Dzidzor Mensah has revealed that she once contemplated suicide amidst severe criticism for lying about her HIV status.
The former ambassador took a public HIV test in June 2021 after she had returned from Germany to clear doubts about her HIV status. She tested positive after the test.
Joyce had earlier admitted to being HIV-positive in 2019 after repeatedly denying having the virus.
Speaking on Onua FM’s Efie Ne Fie, she disclosed that she decided to take the test in public because she could no longer contain the public criticisms and insults about her HIV status.
She said she planned to commit suicide after taking the test in public but she got help from someone in Germany and rescinded her decision.
“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. I was just leaving suicide notes behind through my actions on social media but I got help.
“The person advised me that I have children who need me and even if I do not love myself, I have children and should think about what they will go through when I die,” she stated.
According to the Ghana AIDS Commission, Joyce Dzidor was made an HIV campaigner in August 2011 after she had tested positive for the virus in 2007.
Her contract with the Commission required her to specifically promote HIV messages in the area of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
However, in December 2014, Miss Mensah caused a mockery of the Commission when she publicly denied her HIV-positive status.
The denial by the former AIDS ambassador of her positive status raised questions about how the commission ascertained the HIV status of persons before they were contracted to be ambassadors.
This caused a rift between both parties leading to the termination of her contract.
