Why HIV/AIDS Rate is Cumulative in South Sudan
By Atem’sijin, Juba, South Sudan
December 10, 2015 (SSB) — I have critically observed that socialized prostitution is doing harm than commercial prostitution; some of you may wonder what differences lies between two types of prostitution. And I would beg for your patience as I explain the differences and how dangerous implicit prostitution is compared to professed commercial prostitution.
I have observed for one year the flow of young beautiful girls from homes to the market in the late hours of the evening covered up in bed sheets traditionally referred to as “toubs in Arabic”. Most of them are not demanding for specific money as payment but takes whatever is given to them by their spouses. Before we break it down into more details there are some facts we need to analyze as to why social implicit prostitution is dangerous compared to commercial prostitution.
Most of the social prostitutes do not know how to protect themselves from Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) hence endangering their health especially when it comes to HIV/AIDS. Use of a condom is an abomination to almost all of them hence sleeping with different men whose HIV/AIDS statuses are not known. While HIV/AIDS records were announced on World’s HIV/AIDS day, its commission and the government seems to be taking no drastic measures on how to reduce the rate of infection.
The number of commercial prostitutes infected with HIV/AIDS is lower compare to the number of those practicing implicit prostitution during the late hours of the evening. Most of them are disappointed with men who urged them to use condoms, “asking questions like do you see me like a prostitute?” for God’s sake do they even know the meaning of prostitution and who is qualified to be termed a prostitute?
In simple terms a woman who goes with more than one man is dubbed a prostitute, adding the fact that most of them do not ask for money but takes whatever is given to them makes it an implicit prostitution.
My concern here is how we are going to end up like South Africa in terms of HIV infection rate. The influx of our brothers from the neighboring countries immediately after the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement in 2005 have built the foundation of HIV/AIDS in South Sudan; we are given the virus and is now upon us to distribute it among ourselves or reduce its rapid rate of infection that keeps climbing year in and year out. I am sorry to say that 40% of those women in toubs can either by carriers of the disease or victims of new infections in South Sudan.
I am not saying that all girls who wear toubs are prostitutes but it is what most of the girls are doing. They camouflage themselves by covering their bodies with toubs such that anyone cannot identify them. If you think I am lying, visit one of the mushrooming lodges of Ethiopians; which are constructed carelessly regardless of whether it is a residential area or not. And you will truly believe what I am saying; most of them cover even their faces while being led into the lodge rooms, meanwhile seeing inside the transparent toub.
They are being led into the lodges like when a cow is being taken to the butchery, why do you want to look scary yet you have accepted to come to the lodge? Maybe because of the little cultural norms we are left with, which I believe is also dying at a rapid speed too. Even your own sister can pass by you with a man heading into a room without your notice, unless you start identifying the colors of her toubs or else you will be seated outside while your sister is doing the unthinkable right near your nose.
Our girls must either accept use of condom or refrain from the act of playing around with boys. If the two are intolerable then at least get married and to a faithful man who will not run chasing after the toubs. If yearly, the rate of infection increases by 40,000 then where are we heading to? It is a disaster that needs quick intervention by the government and all the concern agencies in order to curb the aggressive rate of infection in the country.
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