Samuel and Anitha grew up at our Home of Hope, a safe haven in Hyderabad, India for children impacted by HIV. Samuel is HIV-positive; Anitha is not. She and her brother Rajkumar were among the very first children to enter the home. Though Anitha tested negative, she was raised alongside the other children as family. Now adults, Samuel and Anitha are engaged to be married.

What happens when one partner is HIV-positive and one is HIV-negative? This is a question Samuel and Anitha have asked since the day they knew they wanted to be together.

Thanks to medical advances, couples like them can now live full, healthy lives together. With daily antiretroviral therapy (ART), Samuel’s HIV is undetectable, which means he cannot pass it on to Anitha or a future child, as long as he stays on treatment.

We have already had 3 babies who are HIV-negative among our married couples. What a joy it is to support our family well into adulthood and becoming parents.

Samuel and Anitha will marry in November surrounded by family and friends. We are so happy for them and the life they are building together.

Anitha, center, tries on a sari while shopping with friends for her trousseau