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Fungai Lupande Mash Central Bureau
THE National Aids Council (NAC) has increased the number of health sessions on adolescence sexual and reproductive in Guruve district following an upsurge in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) within the 15-40 age group from 800 last year to over 1 000 this year.

Guruve district Aids coordinator Mr Ganizani Ndungwa said studies have shown that there was little education on HIV/AIDS issues among youths and learners in schools.

“Guruve has a population of 130 000 people and 14 000 are living with HIV. Our prevalence rate is 11,5 percent. We have experienced an increase in STIs to over a thousand from January to June compared to 800 during the same period late year,” said Mr Ndungwa.

“These sexually transmitted infections are among females and are detected during their antenatal care. The females have adopted a health- seeking behaviour compared to the males. We have started adolescence sexual and reproductive health sessions to disseminate information to the youths. We are also targeting males through the behaviour change community motivation programmes. We are working closely with the key affected population including sex workers, commuter omnibus drivers, small-scale miners and rank marshals and we have trained peer educators within all these sectors. In schools we are working with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in providing counselling and guidance to learners.”

One of the youths, Macdonald Lemani, said drug abuse was rife among his peers and it is the driving factor for STIs.

“Most of the youths here are unemployed and they resort to drug abuse as a way of relieving stress and they end up engaging in risky behaviour like unprotected sex giving rise to the STI infections,” said Lemani.

“As youths we lack information on important issues of HIV/AIDS because we don’t have youth centres. NAC moves around in schools and communities trying to conscientise the youths but youth centres would be the best way for us to interact.”

A former sex worker, Ms Travoltah Mashumba (34), said she had turned over a new leaf but people are failing to accept her messages as a peer educator because of her background.

“I now survive through selling clothes and vegetables. To ladies out there it’s a waste of time frequenting bars, people don’t believe I am telling them important issues on HIV/AIDS that can save their lives. I urge women to come to me for information on HIV/AIDS.”