By Gabriel Luryeyo
Although a survey conducted in Acholi sub-region by The Aids Support Organization (TASO), indicates that there has been a reduction in new cases of HIV infections among young people in the sub-region, infections among young women remain high.
Ramila Akello, a Youth Peer Supporter at TASO Youth Clinic in Gulu City, said it is time for parents in Acholi sub-region to break their silence and talk to their children about sex and HIV. Ms Akello says young people are on their own when it comes to sex education.
“My parents never sat me down to talk about sex. They never told me the consequence of engaging in sexual activities at a very young age. I heard about sex when I was in school,” Akello says.
She notes that because sex is a taboo, parents are afraid to bring up the matter with their children. “I think they (parents) think if you talk about sex with your children, they might be tempted to experiment. That could be one of the reasons why parents do not talk to their children about sex and its consequences,” she notes.
With HIV infections rising, it is time for parents to break their silence and confront the reality.
“It will be too late if parents do not break their silence now. The consequence is that it will frustrate the fight against HIV, especially among young people,” she adds.
Dan Muori, a Youth Counselor agrees with Akello. He said his parents never discussed anything to do with sex with him. “For young boys, they learn about sex from their playmates. That is why in school, you see boys in a clique. They will discuss sex and other related issues among themselves. A parent will get surprised that his son or daughter has already had sex,” he says.
He also noted that it is difficult for an African parent to find one acceptable word to describe sex in the local language. “May be if we find a suitable word which does not sound vulgar to describe sex, the young generation can be saved from the HIV,” he adds.
He also blamed absentee parents, busy work schedules and broken social fabrics for the rising cases of HIV among young people (women and girls).
According to the survey conducted by TASO, new HIV infections reduced from 11,358 in 2017 to 3,175 in 2021. This translates into a reduction rate of 72 percent.
A new report reveals that new cases of HIV in the region had reduced by 72 percent from 11,358 in 2017 to just 3,175 in 2021.
Meanwhile approximately 570 young women aged 15 to 24 get infected with HIV every week in Uganda. This is according to UNAIDS. In Africa, Uganda is only second to South Africa where 2,363 individuals get infected every week.
Approximately 1.4 million adults in Uganda are living with HIV.
Collins Chua Kisembo, a psychologist working with Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development, said like any parent on the African continent, parents in Acholi sub region are being confronted with the harsh reality of children learning about sex from the Internet and their peers. “Elders think children are too young to know about sex. They think if you tell a child about sex, young people will want to explore it. This fear makes elders too reluctant to engage the young ones in discussion related to sex,” he says.
Kisembo adds that in African societies, sex is generally shrouded in secrecy. But he warned that with children experimenting at a very young age, parents must break their silence and discuss the issue. He cautioned that it will be regrettable if children end up pregnant or infected with sexually transmitted infections because parents failed to provide them with the information they need to protect themselves.
With rising cases of new HIV infections among young women and girls, parents in Acholi sub region are now torn between confronting their children with topics around sex and reproductive health and breaking the taboo.
Walter Okema, the Centre Program Manager, The Aids Support Organization Gulu Regional Centre, advised that if parents do not open up about sex education, the children will end up getting ‘junk information’ about sex from their friends, social media and the Internet, adding that children could learn about sex from people with bad intentions.
He called on parents to empower their children with the right message so that they are able to sieve between facts and misleading information about sex. He also noted that although sex is sacred among the Acholi people, this does not do away with the fact that young people are having sex.
“We should not leave teachers with the responsibility of teaching our children sex education,” he emphasizes.
Mr Alex Oyet, the coordinator of Ker Kwaro Acholi (the Acholi cultural institution), says although sex is a taboo, wangoo (fireplace) was in the past used to teach morals in young boys and girls. According to Oyet, a fireplace was considered a traditional school. “Young women were told not to engage in any kind of sexual activities until they were of age. Sex with relatives was also forbidden. It is incest. Sex was also meant for adults only,” he stresses.
“An uncle would tell his sister’s son who has clocked the marriage age of 21 not to go around sleeping with any girls. An uncle will also tell his nephew to be aware of unwanted pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections,” he says.
He adds that cultural leaders should have been more involved in the fight against HIV for a more wholesome approach.
“Cultural leaders and traditional beliefs were dismissed as ancient and not scientific. But we have adopted these beliefs and dealt with the problem of HIV. As traditional leaders, we believe in science too. So, we need to combine our efforts so that we curb HIV,” he says.
Mr Kennedy Ochola, a resident of Pabbo Town Council in Amuru District, admitted that there are gaps in equipping children with the knowledge they require to mpower them say no to sex.
Ochola, who is a father of four, said raising children in a proper manner has remained a challenge for many parents because sex-related topics are rarely discussed.
“The silence has failed children. This is one of the reasons why young children are engaging in sex at a young age. Parents, leaders and teachers need to come together and help our children so that they become responsible adults,” he adds.
However, Anthony Ojok Ochola, a family counselor strongly urged parents to arm their children with knowledge about sex and their bodies.
