Bev, Muridzo tricky tryst

WHILE many Zimbabweans chuckled, bickered and gnawed each other over Andy Muridzo and Beverly "Bev" Sibanda's illicit affair, very few people reflected on the repercussions of having unprotected sex in today's society, as the world rigorously continues to fight the HIV and Aids pandemic.

When the news of their affair broke out, with Bev claiming to be two months pregnant by Muridzo, mainstream and social media went into frenzy, with many people throwing puns at the two.

Muridzo and Bev's actions reflect a true image of what transpires in society today, where most married men in Zimbabwe engage in extramarital affairs, while they rarely, if ever use condoms and contraceptives when having sex.

Therefore they are at high risk of acquiring and infecting their spouses and their multiple sex partners with any sexually transmitted diseases, not that the writer is implying that Bev had one.

But having multiple sexual partners and having unprotected sex increases one's chances of both contracting and transmitting STIs. According to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey of 2015, more men aged between 25 and 29 are likely to be involved with more sexual partners than women. With the statistics, with regards to Muridzo and Bev stating that for a male aged between 25 and 29, living in Harare, in the middle class of society and attained a descent education they are likely to have more than one sexual partner in a year.

The report states that men generally are involved with two or more sexual partners (14 percent and 1 percent, respectively).

Among men, this is a small increase from the 2010-11 ZDHS, where 11 percent of men reported having two or more sexual partners, while among women, there was no notable change. Having two or more partners is more common among divorced, separated, or widowed women and men (3 percent and 21 percent, respectively) compared with married women and men (1 percent and 18 percent, respectively). Having multiple partners is slightly more common in urban settings.

Among those reporting two or more sexual partners in the past 12 months, condom use at last sex was 50 percent for women and 37 percent for men. Men aged 15-19 were more likely to report condom use (71 percent) than men in other age groups.

Among men reporting two or more sexual partners in the past 12 months, condom use had a positive association with education and wealth. If those stats are correct men are at the helm of transmitting HIV and Aids.

Despite Bev saying she is HIV-negative, according to the same ZDHS stats she falls under a group of women who are likely to have a few sexual partners in a lifetime. However, the statistics were void where condom use is concerned.

It is also a general perception that most women are more concerned about falling pregnant than contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

Bev, according to our sister paper H-Metro said she was HIV-negative and that anyone could accompany her to get tested if ever they doubted her.

"I don't mind, I have seen those jokes on WhatsApp but people need to be reminded that Andy (Muridzo) is safe as far as I am concerned. I can challenge anyone to go for tests (HIV). People need to get a life, shame. I am not the type of person who loses sleep with such issues. I am now used to name calling since the day I chose to be a dancer, the same happened to Sandra Ndebele," she said.

The Sexy Angels leader said she is among the "safe" women in town. She said it is not surprising that some of the people who are making "unnecessary" noise are actually the dangerous ones to have unprotected sex with.

"Ndosaka varume vachifa, don't judge a book by its cover. Manje pavanopinda vachiti paribho ndopanotouraya. Very sorry to people who are saying Bev anouraya, venyu ndovanouraya. People also need to be reminded that I don't engage in unprotected sex with anyone, I do that with my boyfriend and I date a man I want," said Bev.

People should learn to separate dancing from prostitution, argued Bev in the article.

"I am a dancer not a prostitute. … I am not a bi***. I am different from other dancers you know. Ask people who stay at my flat if they ever saw me coming with different men. You can even ask some of the people I once dated kuti ndakambovadhumanisa here, you know them. People should get a life and mind their own business," she said.

Muridzo on the other hand openly apologised to the nation about his actions on a video that has since gone viral and even stirred Bev's ire, where she says Muridzo should come clean about their relationship. Muridzo's wife is also on record, saying she dealt with the issue last year and if indeed Bev was pregnant, she should bring "their child home" once she delivers.

In the almost three-minute long video, Bev claims they last saw each other a few weeks ago and had unprotected sex. Now that the cat is out of the bag Muridzo is trying to portray a clean image, argues Bev in the video, where she even claims to have bought him underwear.

But many critics believe where morals are concerned, both Muridzo and Bev failed to play their part, as ambassadors of society in the fight against the HIV and Aids scourge.

In their own right, whether we like it or not, they are regarded as societal role models, expected to steer (in the right direction) the perceptions of the society, particularly the youth.