Drug, Alcohol Abuse Fuels HIV Infections in Sub-Saharan Africa
Desperation often leads to unprotected sex, with their primary concern being contraception rather than sexually transmitted infections.
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Rudo Mukaka (not her real name), a 23-year-old girl from Mufakosi in Harare, Zimbabwe, has been living with HIV for the past four years, writes Sharon Kavhu.
Her infection is attributed to one of the main circumstances fueling new HIV transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa: drug and alcohol abuse.
Amid the economic crisis that has plagued her well-being and the country as a whole, Rudo turned to drug and alcohol abuse as a way to cope with shattered dreams, the loss of her family's breadwinner, and the overwhelming challenges she faced.
Her dream of becoming a Business Administrator for a renewable multinational company and supporting her grandmother and two siblings was shattered when her grandmother, who worked as a part-time nanny, passed away.
Alcohol and marijuana became her companions, but little did she know that she was creating a breeding ground for further health complications.
"To be honest, I am not sure when and how I got infected with HIV because most of the time, I would be very high when I used to spend most of my time hanging out with the 'boys in the hood,' but they took advantage of me. They took advantage of my situation and took turns to sleep with me," she explained with a somber tone.
"In some cases, it felt okay to sleep with them because I wasn't in my right state of mind, and I didn't care about protected sex. Now that I have gone through rehab, I wish my circumstances were different, but here we are. I have accepted my status and have been on antiretroviral therapy (ARVs) for the past three years."
Through counseling, support groups for young people living with HIV, and the assistance of the National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe, Rudo found a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Today, her fervent wish is for no one else to experience what she went through. She firmly believes that no one should endure such unfortunate events.
Rudo is just one of many young people contracting HIV due to engaging in sexual intercourse under the influence of drugs, alcohol, and substance abuse, with no recollection of whether protection was used.
Her story represents a fraction of the cases of new HIV infections fueled by social issues in Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, the economic constraints in the country have led some young females to compromise their well-being by engaging in transactional sex for food.
Desperation often leads to unprotected sex, with their primary concern being contraception rather than sexually transmitted infections.
On the other hand, some girls are subjected to sexual abuse due to the long distances they must travel to school and back. In some remote areas like Rushinga, these girls walk up to 17 kilometers each way.
While interventions such as low-cost boarding schools have been implemented to provide them with a safe place to stay near the school, where they bring their own food to cook, more needs to be done.
During the World AIDS Day commemoration last month, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora of the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe acknowledged the implications of social issues and inequalities in fueling new HIV infections, especially among young girls.
"We have faced challenges in addressing various social inequalities and vulnerabilities that are directly linked to new infections among different population subgroups, where the rates of new infections are higher. I am pleased that several of our interventions have prioritized this aspect, particularly among adolescent girls and young women," remarked Dr. Mombeshora.
While the world is progressing in the fight against HIV and AIDS through advancements in treatment, such as treatment as prevention with antiretroviral therapy, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and vaccines, it is crucial to implement more interventions to address the social issues fueling HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In December, World AIDS Day was commemorated under the theme "Let Communities Lead."
According to the World Health Organization, the theme provided an opportunity to reflect on progress made, raise awareness about the remaining challenges in achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030, and mobilize all stakeholders to redouble their efforts in the HIV response.
While southern African countries have made significant progress in the HIV response, with effective treatment and increased awareness, more work lies ahead to address the social issues that contribute to HIV infections.