Jacob Zuma, Aids misconceptions and education
How would you react when some one would come up to you and confessed he / she had unprotected sex with an HIV infected partner? What if this same person was involved in a marriage or long-term relationship? What would you say if he or she would tell you: “Don’t you worry! I have got a very small chance of contracting HIV!”
Personally, I don’t think I could find the words to express my disapproval, my anger, and my worries for his or her partner. Not only is it stupid, in an era where love and lust may kill you, to have unprotected sex, left alone having unprotected sex with someone you know is HIV positive. Especially since there is a partner involved. Stupid does not even put it to assume that the Aids-virus won’t strike you.
Safe sex or no sex
I am obviously referring to South Africa’s former vice-president Jacob Zuma, one of the most controversial yet most popular public figures in the country who faces charges of rape. “I thought that I had a small chance of contracting HIV”, Jacob Zuma stated yesterday in court, on the question why he had unprotected sex with an HIV infected woman*. “Based on what?”, was one of the first things that crossed my mind.
Personally, all through my adolescence up until now, I was told, taught and even ordered: Safe sex or no sex. “Do not jeopardize your life and use a condom”. “Be careful of Aids,” Protect you and your partner: use a rubber”, “Aids isnt picky about its victims: you can be hit too!”. From the moment I became interested in boys, my parents basically ordered my to go to the pharmacy for a family pack of wrappers, despite the fact I was not ready for you-know-what until my early twenties. I am happy for that as I managed to safe guard my life and the lives of others in a very sustainable way.
1500 new infections per day
Not everyone is as lucky. Every year, millions of people worldwide end up in their doctors’ office as a result of unsafe sex, irresponsible behavior or simply bad luck as many contract the virus due to rape. Take South Africa for instance, a country where more than 12% of the population is HIV positive, a country where 1500 people per day contract the deadly virus, a country where an estimate of 800 people per day die as result of the disease.
Some years ago, to bring down the number of yearly HIV infections, South Africa started a condom campaign to promote safe sex. A great step in the right direction, but unfortunately the accessibility of condoms isn’t the sole key player in the promotion of safe sex and the decrease the number of HIV infections. Education is a just as an essential and vital element in finding a solution for the pandemic. What is the point of having access to condoms when there are so many misconceptions about condoms and Aids?
Digging graves
Jacob Zuma proves that Aids education is still needed in all levels of South African society. This well-educated man clearly missed some of the most important sex lessons, including the one stating that the AIDS virus is not picky on its victims. Whether you are poor, rich, black, white, living in a shack or in a mansion, whether you are unemployed or a politician: taking risks and acting irresponsibly means you are digging your own grave. And the saddest thing: You are also digging a grave for everyone else who is directly and indirectly involved.
* According to Zuma the sex between him and his complainant – which he at first denied - was based on consent and compliance.
Miriam Mannak / Africa in the News - Cape Town, South Africa
Personally, I don’t think I could find the words to express my disapproval, my anger, and my worries for his or her partner. Not only is it stupid, in an era where love and lust may kill you, to have unprotected sex, left alone having unprotected sex with someone you know is HIV positive. Especially since there is a partner involved. Stupid does not even put it to assume that the Aids-virus won’t strike you.
Safe sex or no sex
I am obviously referring to South Africa’s former vice-president Jacob Zuma, one of the most controversial yet most popular public figures in the country who faces charges of rape. “I thought that I had a small chance of contracting HIV”, Jacob Zuma stated yesterday in court, on the question why he had unprotected sex with an HIV infected woman*. “Based on what?”, was one of the first things that crossed my mind.
Personally, all through my adolescence up until now, I was told, taught and even ordered: Safe sex or no sex. “Do not jeopardize your life and use a condom”. “Be careful of Aids,” Protect you and your partner: use a rubber”, “Aids isnt picky about its victims: you can be hit too!”. From the moment I became interested in boys, my parents basically ordered my to go to the pharmacy for a family pack of wrappers, despite the fact I was not ready for you-know-what until my early twenties. I am happy for that as I managed to safe guard my life and the lives of others in a very sustainable way.
1500 new infections per day
Not everyone is as lucky. Every year, millions of people worldwide end up in their doctors’ office as a result of unsafe sex, irresponsible behavior or simply bad luck as many contract the virus due to rape. Take South Africa for instance, a country where more than 12% of the population is HIV positive, a country where 1500 people per day contract the deadly virus, a country where an estimate of 800 people per day die as result of the disease.
Some years ago, to bring down the number of yearly HIV infections, South Africa started a condom campaign to promote safe sex. A great step in the right direction, but unfortunately the accessibility of condoms isn’t the sole key player in the promotion of safe sex and the decrease the number of HIV infections. Education is a just as an essential and vital element in finding a solution for the pandemic. What is the point of having access to condoms when there are so many misconceptions about condoms and Aids?
Digging graves
Jacob Zuma proves that Aids education is still needed in all levels of South African society. This well-educated man clearly missed some of the most important sex lessons, including the one stating that the AIDS virus is not picky on its victims. Whether you are poor, rich, black, white, living in a shack or in a mansion, whether you are unemployed or a politician: taking risks and acting irresponsibly means you are digging your own grave. And the saddest thing: You are also digging a grave for everyone else who is directly and indirectly involved.
* According to Zuma the sex between him and his complainant – which he at first denied - was based on consent and compliance.
Miriam Mannak / Africa in the News - Cape Town, South Africa
posted by Miriam Mannak at
10:16
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home