Ama 2K Speak Out: ‘HIV IS BETTER THAN PREGNANCY!‘

Mthokozisi Ncube and Lubelihle Moyo

Ama 2K will never cease to amaze!
B-Metro recently hit the streets of Bulawayo to ask 20 teenage girls: “Which would you rather have, HIV or pregnancy? The results left jaws on the floor.

Eleven of the girls (55 percent) said HIV was better, six (30 percent) chose pregnancy, and three (15 percent) refused to answer.

Call them Zoomers, iGeneration, Centennials, Post-Millennials or Digital Natives, these kids born between 2001 and 2020 are a different species. Their take on life is simply bewildering. For all we know, they may be aliens.

The reasoning behind their choices was just as bizarre.
“HIV is private. No one needs to know. I can take my medication in secret but if I fall pregnant, everyone will know I was careless,” one teen said, straight-faced.

“Babies are expensive. At least no one will know I’m taking pills,” added another. Some Ama 2K even argued that HIV is no big deal. “Lots of us were born with it. People live well and enjoy life,” one said.

Another declared: “Pregnancy is a drag. It ruins your figure and iyenza amabele akho abe ngamapatapata. You can never recover your looks after childbirth. Boys will never look at you because you will look as old as your ancestors.”
Those who preferred pregnancy were equally outspoken.

“I choose pregnancy because a child is a blessing. I will have my own Barbie Doll to mould into my image and it means my man will never leave me,” said one girl.

“Pregnancy is better because after nine months I am done with it. HIV is for life. Imagine gulping pills forever. Is that really living?” questioned another.

Another said pregnancy was the better devil because “once the baby is out, your parents take over responsibility. HIV stays with you forever. You handle it alone.”

A psychiatrist, speaking off the record, said the Ama 2K responses, though shocking to older generations, are normal for today’s teens.

“Gen Z sees HIV as manageable, treatable and increasingly private. Pregnancy is immediate, visible and socially punishing. Teens are not wishing for HIV. They fear public shame, economic hardship and losing control of their futures,” said the psychiatrist. He said young people measure consequences based on social reaction rather than long-term health outcomes.

Respected gynaecologist Professor Solwayo Ngwenya called for stronger cultural and Government guidance.
“The sample is rather small for a scientific conclusion, but the results are shocking. Teenagers must focus on school and avoid HIV. It is a terrible disease that has killed millions,” he said.

He urged young people to embrace sexual purity and for the Government to boost health awareness in schools. “Medically, we promote protected sex. Culturally, sex is for marriage after lobola. Children must be protected to remain healthy and productive,” he said.

Veteran teacher at Babambeni Primary School, Thabani Tshuma said Gen Z has a warped view of sex.
“They are carefree about unprotected sex. They prefer raw sex and then take morning after pills. They fear pregnancy more than an incurable disease. This mindset is dangerous and needs urgent attention,” he said.

Thokozile Dlodlo of the Emganwini Church of the Nazarene agreed, noting that the socio-economic weight of parenthood outweighs the fear of a manageable chronic illness.

“ART and U=U campaigns have reduced the stigma of HIV, while early motherhood carries a social and financial penalty. Teens value autonomy and economic mobility above all,” she said.

She also urged spiritual guidance: “However, the Bible in Corinthians 6:18-20 says glorify God with your body and in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 advises us to abstain from sexual sin. Let the children go to church and God will fix them.”
Dlodlo said the survey reveals a generation caught between modern medicine, economic pressures, and cultural expectations. Teens fear visible consequences like pregnancy more than invisible but life-long conditions like HIV.

“For policymakers, teachers, and parents, it’s time to rethink sexual health education and support for Ama 2K,” she noted.

During the vox-pop, one teen said the truth plainly: “Most teenagers choose pregnancy without overthinking it. But many here in Bulawayo would rather take HIV than deal with a child.”

It’s a brave new world, and Ama 2K are leading the way, shocking everyone older than 2000 with their logic, or lack of it.