Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare
Herald Correspondent
COMMUNITY health activists and sex worker organisations have raised concern over growing cases of unprotected sex among married people and youths in Harare and Bulawayo, warning that assumptions that certain groups are “safe” may be contributing to the silent spread of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs).
The concerns emerged at community dialogues organised by the Zimbabwe Sex Workers Alliance in partnership with Springs of Life Zimbabwe in Epworth and Bulawayo, where sex workers, peer educators, human rights defenders and community leaders discussed HIV prevention, stigma and access to healthcare services.
While applauding Government efforts in rolling out Lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention injection viewed globally as a breakthrough in HIV prevention, activists said some vulnerable groups were still falling through the cracks due to secrecy, stigma and risky sexual behaviour.
SLZ programmes coordinator Ms Precious Msindo said many married people and youths were increasingly engaging in unprotected sex outside their primary relationships, often assuming familiar partners were free from infection.
“There is a growing risk of mostly married people engaging in unprotected sex with a third party,” she said.
“Whenever this happens, people tend to assume married people are ‘clean’ and indulge in unprotected sex, the same as young people.
“We see them coming nicodemously to our offices seeking assistance because they are afraid or shy to come out openly.”
Ms Msindo said peer educators were continuously receiving reports of untreated STIs and risky sexual behaviour among young people.
“Youths are becoming sexually active at a very young age, but many are not practising safe sex consistently. Because of fear and stigma, they delay seeking help until situations become serious,” she said.
She said that although sex workers are often labelled as high-risk groups, many insist on protection because their work depends on safeguarding their health.
“Sex workers are usually open about the risks associated with their work, and most insist on protection, but there are hidden sexual networks within communities where people do not protect themselves because they trust each other based on marital status or social standing,” she said.
Ms Msindo welcomed the rollout of Lenacapavir, saying it had brought renewed hope in HIV prevention efforts.
“Indeed, we thank the Government. Lenacapavir rollout has been a game-changer, especially for groups considered at risk,” she said.
“However, there is need for future expansion so that other vulnerable groups, including youths engaging in unsafe sex and married people exposed to hidden risks, can also benefit,” she said.
Speaking during a similar engagement in Bulawayo, Frazer Mpofu said stigma and discrimination continued to discourage many people from openly accessing sexual and reproductive health services.
“We are engaging communities because stigma pushes many people into hiding. When people fear discrimination, they avoid testing, treatment and counselling services,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the alliance, Queen Ncube said HIV prevention efforts needed to move beyond traditional assumptions about who is vulnerable.
“Risk is now more about behaviour than status. We cannot continue focusing only on traditionally recognised groups while ignoring risky sexual behaviour happening quietly within communities,” she said.
Community human rights defender Fortune Jena said silence and fear remained major drivers of untreated STIs and HIV infections.
“When people are afraid to seek information or treatment openly, infections continue spreading quietly within communities,” she said.
Grace Tembo, a middle-aged sex worker, said many people wrongly assume that sex workers are the main drivers of STIs.
“Many infections are spreading in secret relationships where people refuse to use protection because they trust each other,” she said.
A senior sex worker, Sengi Chari, said communities should stop pretending risky sexual behaviour happens among sex workers.
“We encourage condom use every day because our lives depend on it,” she said.
