Inside the mind of actor Sharon Olago who plays ‘adamant activist’ violet in Shuga – Read about her ‘significant other’ and the experiences she had leading up to the BIG test day.

Suddenly my sex is exclusive, not that it had been any less but the experience of Saturday the 7th of August is one to be accounted for! You see I finally have a serious significant other, being Violet of Shuga, and an adamant activist for the ‘wearing of condoms’ one would expect that I was as active in getting tested. But truth be told, I had never gone to any clinic with the intention of just knowing my status. What I’d do was wait to get sick, and when the doctor was ordering for my tests, I’d make a sly comment like “Just test everything”. In my head that meant HIV status as well. So if the doctor came back and stated that I was fine, I took that to mean I am negative.

Two months ago I met someone. I like saying that! My significant other, one I do not want to brag about but I think he’s great and hot! We had been dating for a while, all the things that people do to charm each other. I knew he was a great guy, and honestly speaking I had not even think of asking him about his HIV status, or rather inquire about his sexual history. He knows I acted in Shuga, because on our first date, two cute girls excitedly came rushing to me asking whether I could do a shoot for their designs. He seemed serious, and honestly knowing myself I was just going to send him to get me his status like I had done with most of my ex’s (not that there are that many!). So one day we were chilling and he brought up the topic, it started like this…

“So when was the last time you got tested?”… Me being me! thought of the last time I got sick and cutely responded “Two years ago”… “Ooh, my last test for HIV and STI’s was October last year” he replied. At that point my throat felt dry and heart was racing, but tried to look calm and composed. There was silence for a while before he said “Maybe we both need to get tested again”. Can you believe that? The man brought up the issue of testing before he could even a glance at any of my goodies! So I responded “Yeah, that would be great”. That night I slept badly. I was thinking I really like this guy, but would he date me if I was HIV positive? So the next day, he brought the topic up again obviously I had not masked my feelings as well as I thought I had, “Sharon, I don’t want to make you feel like I’m forcing you into this, this is your decision, and I understand if you choose not to take the test” REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY, now there was no way I was going to get out of this! Saturday the 7th of August came we decided to take the test I was so scared!

When we got to the 1st lab it was closed, I felt relieved. We got back into the car, where I almost pulled out, and I remember him asking me “Sharon what do you think I would think if you pulled out now at this stage”, honestly I just didn’t care what he thought at that point! We got to the second lab which was opened with an extremely pleasant girl in it! I pleaded to have mine done first…I’m telling you my eyes were glued to that strip for 3 minutes with not a single blink! I was panicking and remember my significant other tried to look, but I was so defensive! Funny it didn’t even faze him! However I could see a slight panic in his eyes. At that the same time the blood was moving along his strip! He looked at me and I looked back at him. We both knew our status. Positive or Negative, one thing is for sure, I know my status, and I plan to manage it!

Nothing in this world like a man who implores a woman to know her HIV Status! My man is definitely a keeper!