adminCatherine Murombedzi
The country is recording an upsurge in sexually transmitted diseases in the 15 to 25 age group, this was revealed by the minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa this week in a telephone interview. Dr Parirenyatwa said a lot more still needs to be done in tertiary colleges because if left unattended could be a rockbed of new HIV infections.
“The upward trend recorded in sexually transmitted diseases is a cause for concern and our programmes need to see where we are failing to capture the youths. This is the future and needs to be addressed. Youth friendly programmes and centres have to be an everyday thing,” he said. Dr Parirenyatwa lamented the lack of male involvement in health and general wellness programmes.
“Women are miles ahead as they get literacy at ante natal clinics. Generally our female counterparts report to clinics early when they have any health issue unlike males. We need to address this imbalance be it from the church, home, even village meetings and at the headman’s forums, workplace, on radio, television and anywhere men gather,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
Speaking on sex workers he said they were generally informed on health issues and knew the risks. Female sex workers complain that their clients refuse to use protection even when told that one is HIV positive.
“We have problems with clients who use the eye test and refuse to accept that I am HIV positive. They demand unprotected sex and I reveal that I am HIV positive but they flatly refuse that such a well built woman can not be HIV positive. They pay more for unprotected sex despite the risks I end up taking the offer,” said one sex worker in an interview with ICASA manager Tariro Makanga Chikumbirike (pictured) last week.
Dr Parirenyatwa weighed in saying generally health literacy on males needed to be scaled up if such issues were to be corrected. “Yes males tend to be behind females in issues to deal with health. As said before programmes need to address this.” With the international conference on AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in Africa taking place in Harare from 29 November to December 4 the jig saw puzzle has to fit and have no new HIV infections recorded if we get our pieces all together.
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