HIV/AIDS EDUCATION

A SERIES of events have started in all seven regions of Joburg to educate especially-vulnerable communities about HIV/Aids and to improve access to counselling, prevention and treatment programmes.

The theme of the 2019 World Aids Day campaign is: “Communities make the difference – Cheka Impilo”.

The target group is the youth; vulnerable groups in high-risk wards with high HIV prevalence; and key populations such as the LGBTI community, sex workers, people with disabilities, orphan and vulnerable children, adolescent girls and young women and high-risk men.

Dialogues will be held in all City of Joburg regions with audiences regarding the “blesser/blessee” phenomenon. This can be described as a form of transactional sex, which has a number of similarities with prostitution, as it involves non-marital sexual relationships, often with multiple partners, in exchange for financial or in-kind incentives. The relationship is often referred to as the “sugar daddy” relationship.

The city’s activities include:

◆ Door-to-door education, condom distribution and health screening.

◆ Dialogues with the objective of addressing the blesser/blessee phenomenon.

◆ Each region will conduct conversations with 60 adolescent girls, boys and young women focusing on the blesser/ blessee phenomenon;

◆ A Disabled People of South Africa event.

◆ And pregnancy screen tests, TB screening, information, education and communication material distribution and health education.