The common perception these days is that HIV/AIDs is no longer an outright death sentence ever since the discovery of ARV’s. However, after laying to rest my old friend Bosco Murezi, who succumbed to the scourge about four months ago, I’ve withdrawn from that line of thinking.    On the eve of his demise I visited him. Bosco, who once was a custodian of a massive physique, had been reduced to a horrifyingly slim figure. He was sunken and pale faced. As I stood on chills ran down my spine. This wasn’t the Bosco I had known.    He burst into sobs immediately on spotting me and I couldn’t help but cry along; it was an overwhelming moment. All that done, Boss (as we fondly called him), speaking with immense difficulty and interruptions of dry coughing spells, told me his story.    Just like many other adolescents out there, he spent most of his teenage days chasing random girls, drinking booze and dancing the nights away in discos. He didn’t know the time for reckoning was close.    After a number of years of such a life he started experiencing endless bouts of malaria. That was when the idea of taking a HIV test took root. On getting a positive result, he became depressed and went into hiding for fear of stigma. It was not until he suffered a coma a few months later, forcing his neighbors to break into his house, did he finally go to hospital. In conclusion, are you unsure about your status or have suffered numerous vague illnesses? For heaven’s sake, seek a blood test! You shouldn’t hide your face in the sand like an ostrich whenever faced with problems. After all, with ARV’s, you can stay alive. So, if you are married, stay faithful. If you aren’t, either abstain or, for heavens sake, use protection!