Online Reporter
Desire Munyanyi, [email protected]
There are some public-health challenges that announce themselves loudly, while others quietly move through communities until they become impossible to ignore.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) belong to the latter category.
Recent reports from Mabvuku, Harare, have brought renewed attention to the importance of sexual-health awareness among young Zimbabweans.
Scottland Medical Centre has reportedly been seeing between 18 and 20 patients seeking treatment for STIs each day.
Health practitioners at the facility have also emphasised the importance of prevention, testing and early treatment.
These figures should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that the same number of cases is occurring throughout Zimbabwe.
However, they provide an important reason for communities across the country to ask a much bigger question: Are enough young people taking their sexual health seriously?
The answer requires an honest national conversation. One of the greatest challenges with STIs is that a person can have an infection without immediately knowing it or exhibiting any visible symptoms.
Some infections may produce noticeable symptoms, while others can be asymptomatic or produce symptoms that people may dismiss as temporary discomfort.
This means that relying solely on symptoms can create a false sense of security. A person who feels healthy is not necessarily free from an STI. This is why testing matters.
The recent experience in Mabvuku also demonstrates the importance of accessible health services. The cases came to attention partly because people had access to testing and treatment. In other communities where testing is less accessible, infections may simply remain undiagnosed.
Consequently, an increase in detected cases does not necessarily mean that infections suddenly began occurring only after testing became available. It can also mean that a health facility is identifying infections that previously went undetected. That distinction is important when discussing public-health data,young people must be part of the conversation.
Zimbabwe has made significant progress in its HIV response over the years, but HIV has not disappeared.
UNAIDS data show that Zimbabwe’s estimated new HIV infections have fallen substantially over the long term.
The 2024 prevention scorecard estimated about 15 000 new HIV infections in 2023, compared with approximately 79 000 in 2010. That progress should be recognised and, most importantly, protected.
But progress against HIV should never lead society to become complacent about sexual health generally.
STIs remain important because they affect individuals, relationships, families and communities. They can also interact with HIV transmission and other reproductive-health challenges.
A 2025 UNAIDS report, specifically examining Zimbabwe and South Africa, highlighted the importance of investing in sexual and reproductive health and HIV services for young people aged 15 to 24.
This tells us that sexual health cannot be treated as an issue that belongs only inside hospitals and clinics. It belongs in schools, families, churches, youth organisations, workplaces and communities.
Silence does not protect young people. For generations, conversations about sex have often been uncomfortable in many Zimbabwean households.
Parents may find it difficult to discuss sexual behaviour with their children. Young people may be embarrassed to ask questions. Some may, instead, obtain information from friends, social media or other sources that are not medically reliable.
Silence, however, does not prevent young people from becoming sexually active. It simply means they may make important decisions without adequate information.
The answer is not to encourage irresponsible sexual behaviour. Rather, young people need age-appropriate, accurate information that enables them to understand the consequences of their choices and know where to seek professional assistance.
Parents have an important role to play. Schools have an important role. Health professionals have an important role.
And young people have an important role, because personal responsibility matters.
The Government has a responsibility to protect public health and ensure that citizens can access appropriate health services. However, the Government cannot be expected to make personal health decision on behalf of every citizen.
Individuals also have responsibilities. Young people must take ownership of their health by making informed decisions, avoiding risky sexual behaviour, using appropriate prevention measures, getting tested when necessary, and seeking medical attention when they suspect an infection.
Equally important is the responsibility to avoid spreading misinformation. There should be no shame in seeking an STI test and there should be no shame in visiting a clinic. There should be no shame in asking a qualified health professional a question about sexual health. The real danger is allowing embarrassment to prevent someone from getting help.
Testing should become normal. Zimbabwe needs to continue normalising health testing.
Testing should not be something people do only when they are frightened that they may have contracted an infection. Regular health checks can help people make informed decisions about their well-being and relationships.
The Mabvuku experience is a useful reminder of this principle. Health workers there have reportedly been combining treatment with community outreach designed to increase awareness and encourage prevention and early treatment.
This approach deserves attention because treatment alone does not solve a public-health problem. If someone is treated but does not understand how the infection was acquired or how to reduce the possibility of future infection, the cycle can continue. Prevention and education must, therefore, accompany treatment.
Communities have a role to play as the responsibility cannot be placed entirely on health professionals. Community leaders, churches, youth organisations, civil-society groups and other institutions that work directly with young people can contribute to creating environments where sexual-health information can be discussed responsibly.
Community campaigns should focus on facts, instead of fear; encouraging testing and not stigma; and promoting responsibility rather than judgement.
They should also make it easier for young people to seek help when they need it. This is particularly important because stigma can become a barrier to healthcare. A young person who fears being laughed at, judged or exposed may decide not to visit a clinic. That decision can have consequences not only for the individual, but potentially for their partners as well, and ultimately the community at large.
HIV awareness must remain part of the conversation and STI awareness and HIV awareness should not be treated as separate conversations.
Zimbabwe’s progress in reducing new HIV infections demonstrates what sustained public-health education, prevention and treatment programmes can achieve.
UNAIDS continues to maintain country-level HIV estimates and data for Zimbabwe, underscoring the importance of maintaining evidence-based HIV responses.
Young people, therefore, need to understand that protecting sexual health involves more than worrying about one particular infection. It means understanding HIV, other STIs, pregnancy prevention, consent, healthy relationships and when to seek professional medical advice. The objective should be a generation that is informed rather than frightened.
The reports coming out of Mabvuku should not be used to stigmatise the community or its young people. Instead, they should encourage Zimbabweans to ask whether similar challenges could be going undetected elsewhere. A health facility that identifies cases is doing an important job. Detection creates an opportunity for treatment, education and prevention. The bigger challenge is ensuring that people throughout Zimbabwe have access to information and appropriate services.
Therefore, should resist the temptation to wait for alarming numbers before taking action. Prevention is always better than responding after a problem has become widespread. The Government, communities and individuals must work together.
The Government has a responsibility to provide accessible health services, public-health information, testing and treatment. Health institutions have a responsibility to offer confidential, respectful and professional services.
Parents have a responsibility to communicate with their children. Schools and youth organisations have a responsibility to provide accurate, age-appropriate education and appropriate referral to professional services. Communities have a responsibility to reject stigma. And young people have a responsibility to make informed decisions about their own health. No single institution can solve the problem alone.
The question before us is not simply how many people are infected. It is whether we are doing enough to ensure that every young Zimbabwean has the knowledge, confidence and access to services needed to make responsible decisions.
