07 Dec 2015

Men have been urged to accompany their female partners to health facilities when they are pregnant and screening for various diseases.

Senior Superintendent Gabriel Magole of Letlhakane prisons said this on Friday December 4 during a march organised by Boteti Men Sector.

Mr Magole said a tendency by men to enquire the status of their partners only when they returned from health facilities was cowardly as they wanted to rely on women.

“You will agree with me that as men we tend to leave the burden of registration for pregnancy, testing for HIV/AIDS and others to our dear wives and girlfriends,” he said.

He also implored men to love their partners because the same gesture would make them reciprocate as they will be viewed as men of virtue.

Vice chairperson for Boteti Men Sector, Mr Seonyatseng Kereelwang, said their main objective was to encourage men to engage in Prevention from Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme.

He said they also wanted to urge men to test for HIV/AIDS with their partners and also make it a point that they screened for other diseases that might affect their health.

Boteti’s district community health nurse, Mr Luke Lepodisi, said initially the PMTCT programme was concentrating mainly on women at the expense of men and their reason  to effectively put them on board is that the child belongs to both parties.

He also urged partners to restrain from engaging in multiple concurrent relationships as this put their lives in danger.

“This district continues to record a high number of sexually transmitted diseases,” he said.

The march which was in line with 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign saw men marching for a mile in ladies stilettoes. The motive behind the theme of the march was to let men experience the difficulties that women experience in their day to day lives whilst they do not offer mutual assistance to them. ENDS