Health ministry advocates for sober holiday
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday December 19, 2023 06:59
At an event on Friday at the ministry, master of ceremony, Illana Kalaben, reminded her peers to be cautious of alcohol abuse, urging them not to drink and drive. She emphasised the importance of self-care, including protection against HIV and Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), considering the heightened activities during the festive season.
Kalaben also highlighted that a lot would be happening during the festive season, adding that the mood would be high, and pleaded with the youth to enjoy themselves responsibly so that they come back in one piece and healthy. For his part, Dr Tshepo Machacha indicated that he had worked in different hospitals across the country.
Throughout his career, he bathed with people's blood, especially during the festive seasons. Not because he liked it, but because he had to save the lives of young people who got involved in car accidents, where some lost their lives.
"When the festive period is here, I get scared for our youth because it is the time when we admit a lot of road accident victims. It saddens me because it seems like Batswana will never learn. You have to sit down and ask yourself what you want to achieve in life.
If you want to have a PhD or be a business person, ask yourself if your actions are in line with your dreams. Some of you sleep with a lot of people in one night, but ask yourselves if you will be proud of your actions in the future. I hope you know the HIV statistics in our country.
Most of the youth are infected with HIV. If you are to have foursomes, know that two of those people might be HIV positive. You can also have STIs where it affects your fallopian tubes if you are a woman, and for men, it can hinder you from urinating," he pointed out.
Furthermore, Machacha stated that last year there were 50,000 people registered with STIs. However, he pointed out that not all regions submitted their reports, meaning STI cases might be more widespread. He also indicated that there were life-changing STIs that might significantly affect one's life, such as gonorrhoea, syphilis, and chlamydia if not treated promptly. He urged young people to take care of themselves to achieve their dreams, emphasising that they have only one body and should preserve it.
There is no other body that they could have, so he encouraged them to stop abusing their bodies with alcohol and risky sexual behaviours. "What you look like in your old age is determined by how you lived your life when you were young. Stop abusing your bodies. You do not have any other bodies but [this] one.
Preserve yourselves for your dreams. Do not take risks but rather use public transport. For those who have cars, drive at a normal speed (and) do not compete on the roads. Calm down and drive safely. Life is precious and a moment's thrill is not worth it.
Learn to walk away from arguments so that you do not end up being harmed for pointless disagreements," he said. Moreover, Dr Goodwill Gulubane pointed out that there was a lot of travelling and vacations where many people were liable to catching diseases and others being involved in road accidents.
He, however, called on the public to take care of themselves adding that it was important to break the taboo of not having open discussions on sex. He urged the youth to have open discussions on sexual reproductive health and all activities that would be happening over the holidays. "Let us use this time to discuss diseases as families. We have to remember that we are a community. If you know that you have been coughing for a while and go to a festival or any other event, know that you are putting everyone, including your loved ones, at risk. Isolate yourselves. Let us do away with stigma when people cough because you are discouraging them from seeking medical health," said Dr Topo Makhondo during a panel discussion.
For her part, Natasha Moraka pointed out that peer pressure led to many misfortunes that the youth go through. She explained that it was not a sin to be unwell. She encouraged people living with HIV to take their treatments faithfully.
She said defaulting on HIV and TB medications always had a negative impact on the patients.
"We need to empower the youth to be confident in themselves. If you find yourself not taking your medications, know that you are putting yourself at risk. Also, know that beyond HIV prevention there are sexual transmission diseases; therefore, self-care is vital. Why not take precautions by taking PrEP whilst also using condoms? If there is a foreign substance in your body, you are putting your body under a lot of negative physical pressure. Eat healthy too. You also need rest. Take charge of your health.
Take your meds. People with diabetes also take their meds and eat well. Batsadi, let's stop the intergenerational spread of HIV. Some people tend not to take their meds whilst knowing they are dating young girls," she said. Furthermore, Chada Reuben said talking about sex should be continuous, not something that is done on special occasions.
She urged parents and guardians to talk about sexual issues with their children from a tender age as that would help them make wise decisions in the future. She also advised young men that the end of sexual consent was 18 years. Reuben told them that when they hear that their girlfriend's reasoning, talking, and thinking are like a child, they should know that they are children. "Ask for an identity card to make sure she is not a child. No means no. To young ladies, do not feel guilty because you went to their house; if you say no, no is a no," she said.