The Sunday Mail
Tendai Chara
As Zimbabwe prepares to host the International Conference on AIDS and STIS in Africa (ICASA), the largest HIV and AIDS gathering, traditional health practitioners are worried about the increasing number of school children that are seeking treatment for STIs.
Thousands of civil society members, activists and policymakers from across the continent are expected to attend the conference that is slated to run from November 29 to December 4, 2015,
Over the years, Zimbabwe has registered success stories in reducing HIV infection, a factor which might have swayed those that were scrutinising the hosting bids to award the country the right to host the conference.
With an HIV prevalence rate of 15 percent, the country has adopted various interventions such as the Aids Levy and early detection and treatment programmes.
As Dr David Parirenyatwa, the Health and Child Care Minister was making pronouncements to the effect that Zimbabwe was about 85 percent ready to host the conference, traditional medical health practitioners that had gathered for a different function in the capital were raising alarm at the increasing number of young people who are visiting them to seek treatment for STIs.
At a workshop on STIs and Aids which was organised by the Zimbabwe National Practitioners Association (ZINPA), traditional healers revealed that they are alarmed by the number of school children that are seeking treatment for STIs under the cover of darkness.
Speakers chronicled how school children, some as young as 10, are secretly seeking treatment for STIs.
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu, the ZINPA president, said the number of school children seeking treatment are increasing at an alarming rate.
“The reports that I am getting from ZINPA members regarding the prevalence of STIs in school children are shocking to say the least. It is clear that the number of school children that are contracting STIs is increasing. As I am speaking, we are compiling the figures so that we can come up with correct information,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.
According to ZINPA, cases of syphilis and gonorrhoea are the most prevalent among the school children. Some of the cases, however, remain largely untreated.
Genital ulcers that could lead to herpes, pelvic inflammation and vaginal discharges are top on the list of common STIs.
“The majority of the school children only seek treatment when the infections are at an advanced stage. This leads to serious health complications and barrenness,” added Sekuru Chisanyu.
Sekuru Chisanyu said school children prefer traditional healers to clinics since traditional healers offer their services in private.
“School children seeking treatment for STIs at clinics are often ridiculed and even told to bring either their parents or sexual partners. Besides offering cheaper services as opposed to other health facilities, traditional healers also offer a discreet treatment services, which the school kids prefer,” said Sekuru Chisanyu.
The traditional healers say most of the school children are afraid of getting pregnant as opposed to contracting HIV. Therefore, some of the sexually active school children are said to be using family planning methods that do not protect them from STIs.
Mbuya Erika Mashayamombe, one of the participants at the workshop, partly blamed the education system for fuelling STIs.
“Our teachers are no-longer as strict as they used to be in the past. These days, children miss school or come late and are hardly punished. Instead of attending classes, some of the children will be in lodges engaging in risky sexual behavior,” Mbuya Mashayamombe, who believes that corporal punishment should be re-introduced in schools, said.
She said peer pressure is forcing some of the girls to engage in risky sexual activities and advised parents to conduct routine virginity tests. She also said sexual abuse, nude parties, inter-generational relationships and the failure by the school children to negotiate for safer sex are the major contributors to the spread of STIs.
“In the past, our aunties used to do random virginity tests on their nieces. This discouraged the girls from engaging in pre-marital sex.”
Sekuru Chisanyu called for all stakeholders to come together and come up with solutions to the scourge.
“As traditional medical practitioners, we are calling upon all stakeholders to come together to fight this disturbing trend. It is our responsibility to make sure that we teach our children, especially the girl child, about the dangers of engaging in pre-marital sex,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.
In a report that was carried by this paper recently, some 2 692 people aged between 10 and 19 were treated for STIs between January and March this year, with the 20-24 age group accounting for 10 254 cases.
National Aids Council’s 2015 first quarter report indicates that an increasing number of young people are exposed to unprotected sex. It also shows that the 25-49 age group contributed the highest number of patients (30 964) followed by those aged between 20-24, followed by adolescents and teenagers.
According to NAC, Harare accounts for the highest incidence at 10 135 cases with Masvingo following in hot pursuit at 8 166. NAC monitoring and evaluation director, Mr Amon Mpofu is on record saying the continued high incidence of STIs among adolescents and young adults shows that the country is sitting on a time-bomb which will likely fuel an increase in new HIV cases.
According to Mr Mpofu, people infected with STIs are at least two to five times more likely to contract HIV if they are exposed to it through sexual contact.
