06 Apr 2014

Hukuntsi Sub District AIDS coordinator, Mr Ernest Setlhako has raised concern at the high rate of new HIV infections in the area.

Officiating at the Month of Youth against AIDS commemorations in Hukuntsi recently, Mr Setlhako said statistics show an increase of infected people from 11.8 per cent in 2008 to 15.4 per cent at present.

He said the increase in new infections could be due to the fact that people were resistant to change with regard to HIV prevention measures.

Many people, he said, were still conservative and regard condom use and other prevention measures as modern issues.

Mr Sefhako also complained about the low number of people who turn up for HIV testing, noting that last year 933 were tested of which 534 were female and 395 male. He said men were lagging behind on issues of AIDS and HIV prevention.

For her part, Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) officer, Ms Mokaedi Morutwa encouraged men to participate in the Safe Male Circumcision campaign, saying it has the potential of reducing the chances of getting infected with HIV by 60 per cent.

She, however, warned that SMC was not a complete HIV prevention measure as it only reduces the infection risks.

Furthermore, she advised the youth to resist the temptation to have unprotected sex. Ends