Activism. The theme of activism is prominent in one quarter of the total narrative sample, of which ten narratives are male-authored and five narratives are female-authored. Social support is an integral component of activism, as it inspires motivation and encouragement, particularly for PLWHA. Young authors stress that activism renews the vigor and sense of life purpose of a PLWHA. Of the nine PLWHA depicted as activists, six are female. Conversely, of the six HIV-negative community members depicted as activists, five are male and one is a mixed-gender group of students. Over half of the narratives that feature activism were written by 20-24 year-olds. Five authors from this age bracket illustrate the transformation of PLWHA into role models and community advocates, and three of these narratives devote attention to the activities of community associations. Across the dataset, nine narratives portray PLWHA that initiate HIV-related activities, whereas six narratives portray community members as activists. For PLWHA, activism is intricately related to disclosure and social support. The act of disclosure represents a turning point in the life of an HIV-positive protagonist. Disclosure that is met with acceptance and support encourages an HIV-positive protagonist to make the conscious decision to live positively. In young authors‟ representations, being accepted and supported by a friend, family member, co-worker, or community association boosts morale, increases knowledge-seeking behavior and encourages knowledge-sharing about HIV. The authors convey a salient message that when an HIV-positive protagonist feels a sense of belonging with one or more people, his or her confidence and optimism increases. Young people acknowledge that PLWHA have the potential to live positively, however this is heavily determined by their level of social capital. With the right amount of support, they can become strong, empowered and influential community leaders that educate others. Fewer HIV-positive male protagonists become activists and educators than females. This may imply that in the sense-making process of this sample of authors, an HIV-positive male is less likely to receive social support in his immediate environment, and this may be the case because he is also less likely to disclose his status initially. Interestingly, in the narratives that do depict a male advocate living with HIV, activism occurs on a regional or national scale, unlike HIV-positive female advocates who oper...
