My Story About A Friend Living With HIV
February 7, 2008
Publisher’s Foreword: The young author offers insight into the unique challenges that young people in Zimbabwe face as they navigate life in the age of HIV/AIDS. The article is personal, as it explores a young Zimbabwean’s choices as he deals with peer pressure from a close friend, highlighting the vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS for young Zimbabweans who may chose to live lifestyles that would otherwise be considered quite normal in most countries. The stakes are high, and the youths of Zimbabwe are forced to stay on guard. This entry was the 3rd prize winner of HAZ’s 2007 World AIDS Day Student Essay Contest.
MY STORY ABOUT A FRIEND LIVING WITH HIV
Having acquired knowledge on HIV/AIDS through various magazines and the television, it is true that in the community I live, there are people having the disease and this also affects everyone because they are human beings we rub shoulders with everyday and some are relatives.
Sharing a story about a guy who is living with the virus is Edwin’s (changed name) story. He is my friend and he likes women and has intercourse with them. I still recall when I once asked him how many girls he dated and he drafted me a list of girls and added saying that he had intercourse with them all. I was shocked because he was even boasting about it and urged me to also do the same with the girls I date. He reasoned saying that if a girl loves you, then she should have sex with you because no sex, no love and also to prove that you are a real man. When I asked him about using protection, he said sometimes he would use one but on beautiful girls he would not. I was caught in a dilemma, whether to listen or not because it seemed fun. Almost buying his words one day I saw him taking tablets from a container with a label similar to that of viral drugs and he seemed to be gaining weight rapidly. I knew that there was something wrong about him and decided to approach his sister and ask her. She told me that Edwin was HIV positive and he himself never told me. Coming back to my senses, I saw that he wanted me also to be in his position also and I even became scared of him because he pressured me and also it was bad association for me. I nearly became a victim because of a friend.
Many youths in Zimbabwe can also be victims of the same situation and some can be unlucky to escape pressures around them and end up succumbing to the ravages of the deadly disease. As youths, we like having fun by experimenting on life at times we end up being in serious trouble. For instance, at a friend’s party or club, one can end up drinking alcohol and have a one-night stand without protection, with someone he/she doesn’t know. At times ignorance causes youths not to consider HIV/AIDS serious because they tend to think that mostly the virus affects people through intercourse only, and not through any other way like sharing a razor blade or sharp object.
Today’s youths are victims of rape, abuse and are taken advantage of by rich men who molest them. Although there are legal rights for youths in Zimbabwe, even world wide, so people still get away with their crimes by infecting more and more people. Coming to a conclusion, I think showing youths videos of people with AIDS and how it painfully destroys the body, it will shake them by scaring them not to have unprotected sex or even having it at all.
Lastly, my vulnerability to HIV/AIDS can be very great if I am not careful with my life. Getting tested and living a clean life is one of my priorities and also choosing friends that are also concerned about their vulnerability of getting the virus while not discriminating those with the disease.
A Struggle to Survive: We the Youth Fight for an AIDS-free Generations
February 7, 2008
Publisher’s Foreword: The young minds of Zimbabwe are well represented by this scholar who spells out factually the dangers in the world around them. Who would ever have thought a few years back in an earlier generation that an innocent young person today would have to be talking about becoming infected by a deadly virus through a casual youthful sexual encounter, through child sexual abuse, or that because of peer pressure, they experimented with alcohol with their friends and made a deadly mistake. The author points out that today’s youth cannot relax their guards at all as the consequences today are very serious and can lead to death and misery for themselves and their families. The content reflects a good and factual understanding of HIV/AIDS and it is comforting to know that this young life is equipped with the correct information about HIV/AIDS. This essay was one of two 1st-Prize winners of HAZ’s 2007 World AIDS Day student Essay Contest.
A STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE: WE THE YOUTH FIGHT FOR AN AIDS-FREE GENERATION
In a society of poverty and harsh economic conditions, we as youth are faced with many challenges in life and are put in situations leaving us vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. This pandemic has swept through many lives and left many others suffering in poverty and in a state of delusion.
In these economic hardships, not all parents can afford to cater for their family’s needs and children’s education. This has resulted in many children dropping out of school to help sustain their family’s well-being. Most cases show that children get involved in antisocial activities such as prostitution and drug trafficking which will leave them to a great extent vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
In some cases youths are unemployed and have nothing to keep them occupied, as chances of getting employment are very slim due to high unemployment rates. This results in many drowning their sorrows in alcohol and drugs, leaving them in a state where they are unable to make decisions in their right state of mind and hence putting themselves at risk of having unprotected sex when the situation arises. The use of certain drugs results in the use and sharing of sharp objects hence exposing each other to infected blood.
Due to the harsh economic times, parents cannot provide for all their children’s wants. This causes a situation where youths seek financial favours from “sugar daddies” and “sugar mommies” in exchange for sexual favours. This exposes youths to contracting HIV/AIDS through risky behavior.
Many youths have stigma towards issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS. Most youths ignore messages on HIV/AIDS awareness and engage in risky sexual activities. Many are afraid of getting tested. Many couples get married without getting tested. As a result, infected couples may give birth to innocent babies infected with HIV/AIDS.
Many youths are effected by their social and religious backgrounds. Issues pertaining to sex education and HIV/AIDS awareness are restricted, hence youths are brought up without knowing general information pertaining to HIV/AIDS and ways of protecting themselves. This will result in them being involved in risky sexual behaviour and not knowing the consequences of their actions. Some traditional activities expose youths to HIV/AIDS such as circumcision, as in most cases sharp objects are used and shared and no sterilization is used, leaving them with higher chances of contracting HIV/AIDS through contact with blood.
In some cases, family bread-winners or parents may die and leave children to fend for themselves. In most cases, these children resort to antisocial activities such as prostitution and drug trafficking, hence chances of them getting infected are high. Youths are greatly affected by peer pressure. Many youths are forced into engaging in risky sexual behaviour simply because their friends are encouraging them to do so as they seek to be part of the group. Many youths are in some cases, sexually abused by adults. An infected person may abuse and infect an innocent youth’s life with HIV/AIDS.
We as a society have a huge challenge to fulfill a vision of an HIV/AIDS free generation. This can only be achieved with behavioral change, poverty eradication and elimination of stigma associated with issues dealing with HIV/AIDS. Without this, it will be another struggle for survival in the lives of future generations of youths.
