‘Make sexual health your business’

SEXUAL health is the right and responsibility of each individual and not just for a few to be concerned about.
This was the message presented by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Save the Children representative Lydia Seta at the second national People living with HIV (PLHIV) summit yesterday at the Hideaway Hotel.
She said during the session on sexual health that sexual health was not only about the enjoyment of sexual activity without causing physical harm but also the freedom from sexually transmitted infections (STI) and unwanted pregnancies.
Seta said there was no time to point fingers at one another as it was everyone’s responsibility including PLHIVs to protect themselves from as STI.
Seta’s message was emphasised by Dr Gideon Nano who said STI and reproductive health as two important aspects related to sexual health.
Nano told participants that STI s  was a risk factor to getting HIV and so it was important to get medical check ups on a regular basis. 
He said people needed to be empowered to make the right decisions such as proper family planning to protect themselves as well as their families.
“I urge you all to be the mouthpiece and go out to your communities to share this information openly to each other so at the end of the day we can have a win-win situation,” Nano said.
The three-day summit, which started yesterday, was intended to provide opportunities for PLHIV to educate and be educated through the coming together and sharing of information.