Socialisation: A Driver in Spreading HIV

“It’s now within me. I can’t settle for one man. At first it was fun but now I am addicted. It is now part of my DNA,” says Mary, a sex worker in Harare

Mary is one of the many sex workers who got into the industry as a result of socialization. The sex worker says she grew up with her sister in the high density suburb of Mbare Matapi flats and together with her sister would go to the clubs where they would enjoy watching naked ladies dancing.

“We would go to the clubs where different dancing groups would perform during weekends,” she relates.

She says that it is during this time when she thought dancing was fun and decided to join one of the dancing groups.

“I would marvel at the dancing ladies and I thought that the ladies were having fun and I decided to join them so that I could equally have fun,” added Mary. 

Mary says that after joining the dancing groups she began to realize that it was not just dancing but it was more than that.

“After dancing the senior dancers would go with some rich old men for sex. I did not like it at first but then I was told this was the way to make money by one of the senior dancers,” 

This is how Mary got into sex work and since then she cannot go for a day without indulging in sex.

“Ever since, different man would come for my services and I would provide, for a fee obviously. I then became addicted to sex such that a day cannot pass without having it.

Asked if she was not afraid of HIV/AIDS Mary says that there is nothing to fear since everyone is going to die one way or the other.

“Why should I be afraid of AIDS when each one of us is going to die? Whether I contract the disease or I don’t the truth is one day I will die.”

Mary’s story was so heart touching especially bearing in mind the findings released by Global Fund that young people are the ones that are affected and infected by HIV more. Whereas the number of infections and deaths are decreasing in other age groups, in adolescence the number is increasing. This is worrisome especially if we think of an HIV free generation. 

This shows that socialization plays a big role if we are to control the spread of HIV. What the children are exposed to can lead them to experiment and this can be dangerous.

Below are videos of infants performing some sexual dances. The dances are sexually suggestive and looking at the age of the infants, surely this becomes worrisome. What will happen to these children by the time they get to 15? Will they not fell in the same trap as Mary? And if the trend remains like this will we be able to eradicate this disease? 

It is my encouragement that parents or guardians must make sure that what they expose their children to is good for their upkeep. Otherwise it will be difficult to deal with HIV.

 

Feeding Babies With Peanuts Reduces Their Chances Of Becoming Allergic

Feeding babies snacks made with peanuts before their first birthday appears to prevent the babies from getting a nut allergy. This was revealed by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine

The study showed that among children at high risk of getting peanut allergies, eating peanut snacks by 11 months of age and continuing to eat them at least three times a week until age 5 cut their chances of becoming allergic to peanuts by more than 80%.

Nut allergies in the U.S. are on the rise and doctors and scientist were calling for banning of peanuts 

in infant schools. This was now being adopted in Africa where parents were now afraid of giving their children food containing peanuts.

However the study have shown that the reason why in Africa there are rare cases of peanut allergy is that, Africans consume peanuts a lot from their early ages of life. Therefore it is advisable to give the infants peanut foods to prevent allergies.

Peanut allergies cause a lot of life threatening problems including anaphilasis.

Are Touts Really Bad or Are Protecting The Society

touts at a commuter rank in Harare. image Nehanda Radio

Yesterday I posted a story whereby a senator was accusing well dressed and smart looking women for the spread of HIV/AIDS. I have decided to take this debate further and link it to what is happening in our society.

Recently there was an outcry on the touts undressing women in miniskirts. My argument is that can we really blame these touts or they are protecting the society from a dangerous disease. This is in connection with the senator’s remarks.

In the interviews that I had yesterday all the respondents said that dressing had nothing to do in as much as sexual appealing is concerned. They all said that sex is in the mind of an individual. However from my observation I have noticed that sex workers dress in an “appealing” way. Usually they wear the miniskirts when they are searching for clients.

women in miniskirts.

Therefore in light of this, isn’t it that the senator was right when he mentioned the issue of dressing in connection to sexual appealing? In as much as I might differ in terms of bathing, I believe that on the argument that certain kinds of dressing are sexually appealing.

touts attacking an unproperly dressed woman image-Nehanda

If sex workers dress in a certain way and we really know that they are inviting man for sex, and then doesn’t this confirm that dressing and sexual appealing go hand in hand. This means that when women are dressed in miniskirts they will be attracting men for sex.

It is this sex that has led to the high spread of HIV/AIDS. Therefore when touts are undressing women in miniskirts, aren’t they trying to save the society. Actually how then can we differentiate ‘decent’ women from sex workers? Isn’t it that the touts are sending a message to women that they must dress ‘properly?’ let us also remember that the touts are men and therefore they are the ones affected by the dressing of women.

Stop Bathing, Women Urged

Bathing for women has been said to be a major driver in the spread of HIV/AIDS.

 
According to a report in New Zimbabwe, senator for Chikomo, Morgan Femai said that women must bath
occasionally, shave-off their hair, dress shabbily and get circumcised to make them less attractive to men.
 

Femai said his prescription was necessary to help curb the spread of HIV/AIDS because men were finding it difficult to resist attractive and well-dressed women.

“What I propose is that the government should come up with a law that compels women to have their heads clean-shaven like what the apostolic sects do,” Femai said Friday while addressing a parliamentary HIV awareness workshop in Kadoma.

 Is this dressing inviting???

“They should also not bath because that is what has caused all these problems (spread of HIV).” he added

Zimbabwe is one of the countries worst affected by HIV/AIDS.

However interviews with some individuals review that the claims were bizarre given the fact that even dirty infants are being raped almost on a daily basis. The interviewees aid that sex was a result of lust especially if it is done by unmarried people.

One of the interviewees, Malvern Gareta dismissed the issue of bathing saying sex is all in the mind of an in individual.

“The argument by the senator does not hold water. Sex is a result of last and it is all in the mind of an individual” Gareta said.

“Even if they do not bath men who lust will always lust and sex will be inevitable”, he added

Another lady interviewee Lear Maburukwa said that bathing and dressing has nothing to do with the spread of HIV. It is not the cleanliness that draws man to want sex but it’s all in their minds.

“If being well presented was the driver of sex, then each and every woman would be rapped as soon as they walk out going for work.” said Maburukwa.

The question is “Is dressing really spear heading the spread of HIV.

for on the story visit New Zimbabwe