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Uganda: Alcohol, Transactional Sex Linked to Rise in HIV/Aids
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The Monitor (Kampala)
18 March 2008
Posted to the web 18 March 2008
Grace Natabaalo
Kampala
UGANDAN youth are now more exposed to HIV/Aids due to the growing abuse of alcohol, transactional sex and gender based violence, a trend which is now worrying HIV/Aids activists.
After reviewing literature on the three vices and finding that they are fuelling risky sexual behavior among youth, a new communication strategy to address them is being developed by the Young Empowered And Healthy (Yeah) initiative.
According to the campaign managers, the three vices are now more widespread and putting many young people at the risk of contracting the deadly HIV virus.
Although HIV infection rates have reduced over the years, young people remain highly vulnerable to being infected and to spreading the virus to others.
"These are the underlying factors that have been identified as the drivers of the epidemic. There is a link between them and HIV/Aids and we need to focus on them," Ms Ann Gamurorwa, the director of Yeah, said during a workshop held to develop a communication strategy against the vices in Kampala yesterday.
Yeah is a national reproductive and sexual health communication programme for young people, which was launched in 2004 by the Uganda Aids Commission. It designs and implements behavioral change campaigns for the youth against Aids, pregnancy and school dropouts.
Due to the above evils, Ms Gamurorwa said phase two of a campaign titled "Be a Man" campaign to challenge the male gender will dwell on the three for behavioral change. The first phase dealt with faithfulness, HIV testing and care and respect among others.
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The one year campaign seeks to encourage youth to be the 'ideal man' who is non-violent, does not drink, is faithful to his partner and does not engage in risky sexual behavior. The campaign will be focused on redefining masculinity to reduce HIV risk among men.
According to research carried out by Yeah, transactional sex, which involves the exchange of money, gifts or material support from one partner to another for sex has led young girls aged 18-19 years to engage in sex with men who already have multiple partners.
The girls are lured by the gifts and are forced to give in to sexual advances from older men.
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