She had been an asthma sufferer since the age of 12, an affliction she really never outgrew. At 22, it seemed as though the lung disease had reared its ugly head again.
As usual she went to see her doctor for her monthly asthma checkup. At the time it sounded a bit strange when he suggested she have an HIV test done as she was not responding well to her prescribed medication as in the past.
"The doctor said that I kind of fit the profile of an HIV positive person."
And true to his suspicion, she was told that she was HIV positive, something that never existed in her world.
"I was devastated and frustrated. I didn't know how it was transmitted and how I ended up with the virus. There was a lot of confusion at the time because the doctor told me that I had three months to live," she says.
Today, 39-year-old Nomusa Njoko, fondly known as Musa, is one of South Africa's well known Aids activists and is one of the country's most sought after gospel artists.
"I contracted the virus from a partner that I had at the time. I then decided to inform my former partner. We were no longer together at the time. It was a short lived relationship. I told him and based on his reaction, it seemed as if he already knew," she explains.
The WHO/UNAIDS estimates that the number of people living with HIV in South Africa for 2010 stands at 5.575 million. Of these, 518 000 were children under 15 years, while 2.95 million were adult females over the age of 15.
The highest provincial HIV prevalence was recorded in KwaZulu-Natal, which increased from 38.7% in 2008 to 39.5% in 2009 and stabilised at 39.5% in 2010.
Other provinces with a "higher" HIV prevalence estimates compared to 2009 were: Eastern Cape (29.9%), Gauteng (30.4%), Limpopo (21.9%), Mpumalanga (35.1%), Northern Cape (18.4%) and the Western Cape (18.5%).
The North West and the Free State had 'lower' HIV prevalence estimates, with 29.6% and 30.6% respectively.
At 22, Njoko was like any other young adult; trying to figure out who she really was, enjoying life with her friends and family. "I had to grow up in that moment," she explains. "I had to think differently compared to other 22-year-olds. I had to mature, I had to grow up and deal with issues that other 22-year-olds didn't have to think about."
While initially in shock, her family supported her throughout her illness, as they still do till this very day. "There was a lot of frustration and confusion, but fortunately, we are a strong Christian based family, so we were able to get through everything together." And in 1995, when she publicly disclosed her status, some members of her community were hostile towards her.
At that time, says Njoko, treatment for the virus was not available. "We had more challenges in those days. You basically had to become your own research," she muses. "Information back then was complicated and it was available for scientists and medical practitioners. It slowly started being interpreted into layman's language."
In 2009, President Zuma announced life changing policies that included HIV positive people, with a CD4 count of 350 or less, receiving anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment; pregnant HIV positive women with a CD4 count of 350 or with symptoms, regardless of their CD4 count, having access to treatment and pregnant women, not falling in this category but who are HIV positive, being put on treatment at 14 weeks to protect the baby.
The HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign was launched in April last year as part of a nationwide initiative to get 15 million South Africans to know their HIV status. By the end of June this year, the campaign had reached over 14.7 million South Africans.
Njoko commends government's response to the virus, but adds that more still needs to be done to educate people.
"Up until recently, government has been generally reactive. But we are now seeing government being proactive. The President (Jacob Zuma) made major announcements and interventions two years ago. And with the introduction of the NHI (National Health Insurance) soon, those who are HIV positive will have better access to treatment. We are really beginning to see a change in how government is responding."
The National Strategic Plan (NSP) on HIV and Aids 2012-2016 was launched today. And one of the key decisions included in the plan is the development of a single integrated strategy for HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Tuberculosis (TB). This is primarily due to the high co-infection rate between HIV and TB, as well as HIV and STIs. Currently, the country faces one of the worst dual epidemics of HIV and TB in the world at 73 percent.
"I have suffered from TB three times and the failure to diagnose early is the problem. It is a major killer among HIV positive persons, even those on treatment," she explains. "ARV's do not address opportunistic infections. It is critical that when one tests for HIV, they test for TB as well. That will ultimately prevent deaths."
Findings of the Mortality and Causes of Death in South Africa report for 2009, recently released by Statistics South Africa, showed that tuberculosis was the most commonly mentioned cause of death on certificates.
In 2009, tuberculosis continued to be the most commonly mentioned cause of death on death notification forms, as well as the leading underlying natural cause of death in the country.
Although many strides have been made in combating the epidemic and many affected and infected families are open about the virus, stigmatisation is still a major problem she says.
"Stigma is rife....To eliminate stigma, it is going to take our leaders to pioneer disclosure. It needs to start from the top and it will be easier for ordinary people to disclose."
Being a musician has also helped her spread the message. Music has helped her get people's attention and it's through her music and through her job as Social Marketing and Mobilisation Deputy Manager at the KZN Department of Health that she speaks about the effects of the virus.
"Through my job I am able to influence behaviour change and develop meaningful messages and also to improve greater involvement of people living with HIV," she says.
Njoko has been living with HIV for the last 17 years and while many may think that the virus is a death sentence, she urges those who are positive to live life to the fullest and look after their health.
"Every situation is unique.....It can never be the same. It lives in your body in different ways. You need to know your body and the virus better than anyone else. Don't live your life for the virus- don't let the virus direct or order the steps of your life. Whatever dreams you have- live them or create new dreams," she urges.
"Life excites me......I love living; I enjoy life. I cannot let anything reduce my life. I've learnt to flow with the wind and take each day as it comes."
