Immorality and HIV are bedfellows
THIS is to supplement an article that run in The New Vision titled ‘We must confront immorality head on’ by the minister of Ethics and integrity, Dr. James Nsaaba Buturo, highlighting the high levels of immorality that have bedeviled modern day Ugand
By Apophia Agiresaasi
THIS is to supplement an article that run in The New Vision titled ‘We must confront immorality head on’ by the minister of Ethics and integrity, Dr. James Nsaaba Buturo, highlighting the high levels of immorality that have bedeviled modern day Uganda within both the private and public domain.
The same moral decadence has to some extent marred the nation’s fight against HIV/AIDS. Save for inadvertent means of HIV transmission that is through mother-to-child, accidental pricking of skin and contact with contaminated blood (as in the case of health care professionals) or the possibility of an innocent spouse getting infected by the husband or wife who may have acquired HIV though sexual or drug-related contact with other infected persons.
HIV/AIDS is a disease that is largely avoidable by voluntary choice. There may be numerous prevention strategies that work including medical male circumcision, but for purposes of this article I am limiting myself to the moral aspects of it.
Our society glamourises non-marital sex and multiple sexual partners. Masculinity is determined by the number of women a man has conquered.
For their part of the bargain, women are expected to be “submissive†such as the notion that “a woman does not refuse a manâ€. Generally what it takes to be a man or a woman influences sexual behavior with negative consequences on HIV risk.
The biblical author of Genesis by use of the word ‘subdue’ the earth as part of the commands given to Abraham the first man on earth from whom we all descend, meant that man was given power and authority to tame nature and not to be tamed by it.
Shakespeare in his Play King Lear ridicules the king, Lear who gives his entire kingdom to his three daughters and expects to retain the powers and honour that go with kingship.
He later suffered neglect from his daughters to whom he had bestowed the kingdom. Similarly, our society has tolerated a culture of free sex negating the fact that nothing on planet earth comes without a price.
The result is a disease that had imposed a burden of state resources; left hundreds of children orphaned and left to face the biting realities of life alone, caused poverty to individuals and communities and depleted the nation of its resourceful human personnel.
God, in his wisdom, knew that sex was not only a powerful weapon of creation but also a powerful weapon of mass destruction. That is why he placed it in a monogamous marriage as the only medium in which it can properly be handled.
In an attempt to improve (read distort) God’s original plan for mankind, individuals, communities and nations have paid a dear price for it.
Infidelity, fornication, concurrent sexual relationships, homosexuality and prostitution, all of which are perfect recipe for HIV transmission are man’s and not God’s invention.
Even with the availability of free antiretroviral therapy, one requires a reasonable amount of discipline to adhere to treatment and to avoid re-infection if they are to live a long and productive life with the HIV virus.
Perhaps the rest of the country could borrow a leaf from the Karimojong. Theirs is a time-tested culture of virginity and fidelity.
It is little wonder that the HIV prevalence in that part of the country is about 2% which is three times less than the national average (6.5%) according to the Ministry of Health Sero Survey of 2004.
Developing and implementing policy and programmes that provide AIDS education and awareness, prohibit stigmatisation and advocate compassion would be the rational way forward.
This would call for care while condemning homosexuality, adultery, fornication and prostitution.
The writer is an SPH-CDC HIV/AIDS Fellow at Parliament
Send a topical opinion with your picture to guestwriter@newvision.co.ug. We take 600 words only
THIS is to supplement an article that run in The New Vision titled ‘We must confront immorality head on’ by the minister of Ethics and integrity, Dr. James Nsaaba Buturo, highlighting the high levels of immorality that have bedeviled modern day Uganda within both the private and public domain.
The same moral decadence has to some extent marred the nation’s fight against HIV/AIDS. Save for inadvertent means of HIV transmission that is through mother-to-child, accidental pricking of skin and contact with contaminated blood (as in the case of health care professionals) or the possibility of an innocent spouse getting infected by the husband or wife who may have acquired HIV though sexual or drug-related contact with other infected persons.
HIV/AIDS is a disease that is largely avoidable by voluntary choice. There may be numerous prevention strategies that work including medical male circumcision, but for purposes of this article I am limiting myself to the moral aspects of it.
Our society glamourises non-marital sex and multiple sexual partners. Masculinity is determined by the number of women a man has conquered.
For their part of the bargain, women are expected to be “submissive†such as the notion that “a woman does not refuse a manâ€. Generally what it takes to be a man or a woman influences sexual behavior with negative consequences on HIV risk.
The biblical author of Genesis by use of the word ‘subdue’ the earth as part of the commands given to Abraham the first man on earth from whom we all descend, meant that man was given power and authority to tame nature and not to be tamed by it.
Shakespeare in his Play King Lear ridicules the king, Lear who gives his entire kingdom to his three daughters and expects to retain the powers and honour that go with kingship.
He later suffered neglect from his daughters to whom he had bestowed the kingdom. Similarly, our society has tolerated a culture of free sex negating the fact that nothing on planet earth comes without a price.
The result is a disease that had imposed a burden of state resources; left hundreds of children orphaned and left to face the biting realities of life alone, caused poverty to individuals and communities and depleted the nation of its resourceful human personnel.
God, in his wisdom, knew that sex was not only a powerful weapon of creation but also a powerful weapon of mass destruction. That is why he placed it in a monogamous marriage as the only medium in which it can properly be handled.
In an attempt to improve (read distort) God’s original plan for mankind, individuals, communities and nations have paid a dear price for it.
Infidelity, fornication, concurrent sexual relationships, homosexuality and prostitution, all of which are perfect recipe for HIV transmission are man’s and not God’s invention.
Even with the availability of free antiretroviral therapy, one requires a reasonable amount of discipline to adhere to treatment and to avoid re-infection if they are to live a long and productive life with the HIV virus.
Perhaps the rest of the country could borrow a leaf from the Karimojong. Theirs is a time-tested culture of virginity and fidelity.
It is little wonder that the HIV prevalence in that part of the country is about 2% which is three times less than the national average (6.5%) according to the Ministry of Health Sero Survey of 2004.
Developing and implementing policy and programmes that provide AIDS education and awareness, prohibit stigmatisation and advocate compassion would be the rational way forward.
This would call for care while condemning homosexuality, adultery, fornication and prostitution.
The writer is an SPH-CDC HIV/AIDS Fellow at Parliament
Send a topical opinion with your picture to guestwriter@newvision.co.ug. We take 600 words only