Nigerian content creator, public speaker and HIV awareness advocate Chika Wonder has shared some of the discrimination he has endured since publicly disclosing that he is living with HIV.

Speaking during an episode of The Honest Bunch Podcast on August 4, 2026, Chika recounted an experience where he was denied the opportunity to use a microphone to testify in church because leaders feared other members would not want to use it after him.

"One time, they couldn't give me a microphone for testimony because they felt the next person would be uncomfortable using it. They preferred to protect the interest of the members rather than protecting my feelings as a human being and a member of the church," he said.

According to him, some pastors unknowingly contribute to the stigmatization of people living with HIV by publicly identifying them during church services.

"A lot of pastors set people up for stigmatization. I've seen cases where a pastor will stand in front of the altar and call out people with HIV. During the prayers, you see your neighbour going forward when they call HIV. By the time that neighbour comes back, you've already left that seat. Whether the healing works or not, that person is already set up for stigmatization," he stated.

He further claimed that some church members deliberately avoided sitting close to him after learning about his HIV status.

"If I sit down and someone is supposed to sit by me and they realise I'm the one sitting there, the person will leave the seat and sit farther away from me," he shared.

Beyond the church, Chika mentioned that he also experienced discrimination in public places.

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He recalled visiting a barber with his own clipper and other tools, only to be turned away because other customers objected to his presence.

"I went with my clipper and everything they would use, but the barber refused to cut my hair, not because he was scared, but because every other person had a problem with the fact that I was in that same salon," he said.

He also narrated an incident at a restaurant where he was served differently from other customers.

"I've also been to a restaurant where I ordered juice. They were serving everyone with a glass cup, but they gave me a plastic cup. They felt that if I used the glass, the next person would be infected," he recounted.

According to Chika, the most painful experiences came from those closest to him.

He revealed that some of his brothers refused to eat food he prepared despite his efforts to bring the family together.

"There was a time I cooked. I had saved money because I wanted us to have togetherness. Because I have HIV, my food was there for about three days until it got spoilt. These are my brothers, so it hurt," he noted.

Chika also disclosed that one of his brothers, who worked as a barber, stopped him from visiting his shop after he publicly announced his HIV status.

Reflecting on the experiences, he said the stigma became even more painful because it continued despite his efforts to educate people about how HIV is transmitted.



FG/EB


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