Leaders attending a one-day multi-country dialogue hosted by the UNFPA this week repeated calls on parents to talk about sex with their children. First Lady Monica Geingos said while no parent would always know when their children’s sexual debut is, parents have a duty to must make sure their children talk to them.
“I have realised that a parent cannot have a child who trusts and confides in them if that parent has not shown that they deserve that trust to allow for open discussions on sex,” she said.
She also said we need to relearn what is relevant for the adolescents in this generation, and not what relevant 25 years ago was.The dialogue also addressed the HIV burden on young women and adolescent girls. According to Dr. Julitta Onabanjo UNFPA Regional Director, East and Southern Africa Region this week told that adolescent girls and young women are the most impacted by HIV infection with 4500 adolescent girls and young women reported to be infected by HIV on a weekly basis.
Prevention is better than cure According to the UNAIDS pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a highly effective prevention choice for people who are at high risk of HIV infection such as sex workers, people who use drugs and gay men and other men who have sex with men.According to PrEP Watch an estimated 4500 to 5000 Namibians are currently accessing PrEP which is available in some government clinics.
Fact sheet – source AvertKEY POINTS.
•Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily course of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) taken by HIV-negative people to protect themselves from infection.•Evidence shows that, when taken consistently and correctly, PrEP reduces the chances of HIV infection to near-zero. •PrEP is cost effective, and there is growing demand for it from people at higher risk of HIV infection, but the scale and coverage currently remains limited. •PrEP does not protect against other STIs so needs to be delivered as part of a comprehensive package of HIV/STI prevention services. •PrEP’s effectiveness decreases rapidly if not taken regularly as prescribed, so addressing the barriers preventing adherence is key to success.
