News / National
Gweru prostitutes bombshell
26 Aug 2017 at 12:00hrs | Views
IF you are the type that goes for thigh vendors and happen to be in Gweru on a lonely night, be extra careful because statistics don't lie!
A National Aids Council (Nac) survey that targeted 3 500 self-confessed prostitutes revealed that 60 percent of that populace is HIV positive. In simple terms, engaging a prostitute for services in the City of Progress means there are three out of five chances that you could be exposing yourself to the deadly virus.
"The figures are quite disturbing. If we look at the national statistics, only 15 percent of the prostitutes on our national database are HIV positive. In Gweru between 55 to 60 percent of the 3 500 ladies of the night on our database are HIV positive," said the organisation's Gweru District co-ordinator Murari Hwingwiri.
However, they are yet to identify the key drivers towards these relatively high statistics.
"We are still looking for the reasons why the numbers of sex workers living positively are still so high in Gweru unlike other cities," he said.
Mr Hwingwiri urged men to go for HIV testing as most of them were still shunning HIV testing services as compared to women.
"Most men in general have a poor health-seeking behaviour meaning they shun HIV testing. They are not aware of their HIV status. When they are sick they prefer herbs first and if they are at the point of death that is when they are likely to prefer to use health institutions and get to know their HIV status," said Hwingwiri.
He, however, said on a positive note most people in Gweru who are HIV positive were now on anti- retroviral therapy.
"While we are admitting that there is an increase in the number of people who are HIV positive mostly sex workers, we also want to take this as a positive step. It shows that people are no longer shunning health facilities. This is quite encouraging as people are now receiving treatment and in turn reducing the mortality rate," Mr Hwingwiri said.
A National Aids Council (Nac) survey that targeted 3 500 self-confessed prostitutes revealed that 60 percent of that populace is HIV positive. In simple terms, engaging a prostitute for services in the City of Progress means there are three out of five chances that you could be exposing yourself to the deadly virus.
"The figures are quite disturbing. If we look at the national statistics, only 15 percent of the prostitutes on our national database are HIV positive. In Gweru between 55 to 60 percent of the 3 500 ladies of the night on our database are HIV positive," said the organisation's Gweru District co-ordinator Murari Hwingwiri.
However, they are yet to identify the key drivers towards these relatively high statistics.
Mr Hwingwiri urged men to go for HIV testing as most of them were still shunning HIV testing services as compared to women.
"Most men in general have a poor health-seeking behaviour meaning they shun HIV testing. They are not aware of their HIV status. When they are sick they prefer herbs first and if they are at the point of death that is when they are likely to prefer to use health institutions and get to know their HIV status," said Hwingwiri.
He, however, said on a positive note most people in Gweru who are HIV positive were now on anti- retroviral therapy.
"While we are admitting that there is an increase in the number of people who are HIV positive mostly sex workers, we also want to take this as a positive step. It shows that people are no longer shunning health facilities. This is quite encouraging as people are now receiving treatment and in turn reducing the mortality rate," Mr Hwingwiri said.
Source - bmetro
