Abigail Anaba: Take your sexuality in your own hands

by Abigail Anaba

She came to us very sickly. She had been losing weight rapidly and everyone wondered what exactly was wrong with her. There were speculations. Maybe it was tuberculosis or some unknown disease. She eventually was taken to the hospital. I can still remember how empty it felt when I saw the test results – HIV positive. Back then, it was akin to a death penalty. She looked at me and asked, ’how much longer do I have to live?’

December 1st, every year is marked as World Aids day. On this date, people gather all over the world to discuss this pandemic and what can be done about it.  This year is not an exception. It is therefore, time once more to remind us in clear terms of where we as a nation stands in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Nigeria has the third largest population of people living with AIDS in the world. By 2013, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) put the figure at 3.5 million. Interestingly, this is only an estimate obtained by survey. We do not have accurate figures to work with. Yet, even this number is troubling. As NACA notes in its website, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS increases as we journey into the rural areas. The prevalence rate is 3.6% in the rural areas as compared to the National prevalence rate of 3.4%. NACA also lists the following factors as affecting prevalence rates.

Geography: with the highest prevalence in the South-South zone (5.5%) and lowest in the South East (1.8%).

Education: Prevalence is generally higher among respondents with primary and secondary education (4.0%) and lowest among respondents that had Qur’anic education only (2.4%).

Wealth: Prevalence is higher among the wealthy (3.7%) than the poor (2.9%).

These statistics seem to shatter a lot of myths that many have about the prevalence of STI’s. Back in the day, men used to travel back to the village to find girls who are not sexually active. With the HIV/AIDS pandemic, this is not the case. Also, it is generally believed that an access to western education enables people make smarter choices. The prevalence statistics shows otherwise. And what about the belief that wealthier people make healthier choices? Again this is not always true.

These statistics should awaken in each of us as Nigerians the need to share in some advocacy regarding this pandemic. If the population of people living with HIV/AIDS is to reduce, we all have a role to play. One of the most important things we can do as individuals is to know our HIV status. Especially those who live high risk lifestyles should always know their status. Unlike in the past, testing positive to HIV is not a death sentence. With proper management people who test have gone along to live longer and even more satisfying lives.

One of the reasons that people choose not to know their status is the stigma that is often attached to it. We as individuals can work to absolve ourselves of this prejudice. No matter the number of laws that are put in place, if we have not resolved in our hearts to treat people who live with HIV/AIDS as they are – people, we will continue having people who won’t bother to know their status and who may be living with the disease and who could help with its spread.

Again, we will do well not to avoid having conversations about ways to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.  Although there are other means of transmission, mostly the disease is transmitted through sexual contact. There are also some sexual practices that put one higher at risk. It is time to have clear and frank conversations about this. Without playing up the morality card, it is important to pass the message that casual sex puts a person at higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. If a person must engage in casual sex, then they must carry around a condom. Women, especially, should protect themselves. There should be no shame in having condoms in one’s bag if one knows that one might have sex on a casual encounter. Again, ladies should not be ashamed to offer a condom to a prospective sexual partner. Young girls in particular need to be given this education to take their sexuality in their own hands. If you do not take care of yourself, nobody else will.

Men too should be proactive in protecting themselves. You can’t tell a person has HIV/AIDS by how they look or how intelligent they sound. Protect yourself by using a condom if you must engage in casual sex. Even in marriage, couples should strive to get tested. Marriage is not a condom, neither is it an immunization against STDs or STIs including HIV/AIDS. Couples cheat. People should take steps to protect themselves from bearing the consequences of the activities of cheating partners.

Remember, abstinence and mutual fidelity is the surest protection against HIV/AIDs.

We should also not forget the dangers associated with blood transfusion and sharing needles and other sharp objects with other people.

Sadly, the noise about the prevalence of HIV/AIDS has reduced. Not as many people even believe the prevalence has not dropped. The reduction in the level of advocacy may be connected to the fact that funding for this from foreign donors has dropped. This calls into question the spirit behind the advocacy of CMOs in Nigeria. Are they really advocating because they have a passion for what they are doing or is it because of the gains in it? But the bigger question is, with the dwindling of funds from international agencies, what is the Nigerian state doing to continue sponsoring this advocacy?

As at January, 2016, NACA posted the following prevalence rates by State on its website.  Statistics are not meant to wow us. They are meant to move us to action. The question then is, ‘what will you do?’

Rivers – 15.2%                                    Taraba – 10.5%                  Kaduna – 9.2%

Nasarawa – 8.1%                              FCT – 7.5%                                          Akwa Ibom – 6.5%

Sokoto – 6.4%                                   Oyo – 5.6%                                         Benue – 5,6%

Yobe – 5.3%                                       Cross River – 4.4%                           Ondo – 4.3%

Gombe – 3.4%                                  Abia – 3.3%                                         Bayelsa – 2.7%

Osun – 2.6%                                       Imo – 2.5%                                          Borno – 2.4%

Plateau – 2.3%                  Lagos – 2.2%                                       Jigawa – 2.1%

Adamawa – 1.9%                             Kwara – 1.4%                                     Kogi – 1.4%

Kano – 1.3%                                       Enugu – 1.3%                                     Niger – 1.2%

Anambra – 1.2%                               Ebonyi – 0.9%                                    Kebbi – 0.8%

Edo – 0.8%                                          Delta – 0.7%                                       Ogun – 0.6%

Bauchi – 0.6%                                    Zamfara – 0.4%                 Ekiti – 0.2%


Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

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