The Sunday News
Sukoluhle Ndlovu, Midlands Correspondent
THE Centre for Sexual Health and HIV Aids Research (CeSHHAR) has said sex workers should not be afraid to reveal their HIV status to their clients as a measure of reducing the spread of HIV and sexually-transmitted infections.
In an interview, CeSHHAR outreach officer Ms Sekai Dembaremba said sex workers should not be shy to reveal their profession as it can help them access sexual reproductive health services from various clinics.
“As CeSHHAR we are saying it is very crucial that sex workers reveal their HIV statuses to potential clients before engaging in sex. This helps us in the fight against HIV as it reduces transmission of STIs and HIV. It also helps them know their statutes and take required necessary precautions.
“We are therefore appealing to all sex workers whether female or male, to make time to visit CeSHHAR clinics and get various sexual health services. We demonstrate how female and male condoms are supposed to be worn, we also provide Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP), we screen for STIs and we offer family planning services,” she said.
Ms Dembaremba said artisanal miners should also make time to seek sexual reproductive health services from nearby health centres.
“Many artisanal miners ignore seeking health services due to the nature of their work. We therefore encourage them to make sure that they visit health centres as we try to fight the pandemic in mining areas which have recently became hot spots for new HIV infections,” she said.
This comes at a time when Shurugwi Town Council intensified the fight against HIV in the mining town by partnering with the National Aids Council. Latest statistics from the National Aids Council show that 1,3 million people in Zimbabwe are living with HIV and in need of ARVs. Of these, about 1,25 million are aged above 15 years while 76 700 are 14 years old and below.
