Blessers and sugar daddies are mainly responsible for the leap in sexual infections among young girls in KwaZulu-Natal, provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said last week, revealing a huge increase in STIs, particularly in the 15-24 age group.
After a scathing condemnation of these ”old men who are destroying the nation” and “responsible for the increase in HIV in these mothers of tomorrow”, she said the government has launched a series of new billboards aimed at creating greater awareness of Aids and STIs among young women.
Between January and October this year, out of 727 466 women aged 15 to 24 who were tested for HIV in KZN, 15 665 were positive, she said. Though this amounts to a positivity rate of 2%, the MEC said that more than 15 000 young women testing positive for HIV was extremely worrying, reports TimesLIVE.
At least 15 girls aged between 10 and 14 were found to have STIs; a further 322 girls aged 15 to 19 also tested positive for STIs. An additional 702 women between 20 and 24 had STIs.
Within the same period, 6 417 pregnant women tested positive for syphilis (which is potentially life-threatening and can cause premature delivery; severe damage to the heart, brain or other organs.) This is already higher than the 4 147 women who tested positive for syphilis during the whole 2021/22 financial year.
“Our provincial statistics paint a shocking picture of HIV and STIs among girls and young women. It is concerning, and underscores the urgency to turn this situation around,” she added, lambasting the so-called blessers and sugar daddies – older men, who prey on young girls sexually in exchange for money or gifts, infecting them with diseases – including HIV – impregnate them, then dump them.
“We’re saying phansi ngama-blesser, phansi … They must go to their age mates. If they continue sleeping with these young girls, they’re destroying our nation. These are the mothers of tomorrow … the homemakers who must take the nation forward. If we don’t protect them, our nation will not prosper,” she fumed.
The department’s new street billboards’ HIV messaging campaign specifically targets youngsters, she said, “and speaks to young people in a way they understand”.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Focus on blessers driving HIV — Right to Care
Mounting concern over SA’s child and teen pregnancy crisis
Two programmes addressing SA's HIV crisis among young women