by Sholotan Abdulrahaman Oladimeji
My personal plan to share the knowledge I gained the from Microbicides 2008 conference will start with me sending out some questionnaires. After receiving the responses, I want to arrange a seminar within the student organization I belong to here in Nigeria. I will bring my ideas from India and together with their own ideas, we can make people aware of the needs for protection people need who engage in anal sex.
My attraction to the International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA) is due to my belief that new research and development must enable people to be free from this deadly disease which is rampant among men and women. IRMA will encourage our ideas on new approaches toward the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
My inspiration is also due to the fact that some young people in the world go astray and not towards a better life in our society. My advocacy will probably be through engagement in seminars, gathering the young together for orientations, education (both the young and
the old) on the risks associated with anal sex. I belive that rectal microbicides could offer both primary protection in the absence of condoms and back-up protection if a condom broke or slipped off during anal intercourse.
I look at the current HIV/AIDS statistics and it shows that women account for almost 60% of HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa. HIV prevention tools such as male and female condoms, abstinence and monogamy are not always feasible options for women due to various socio-economic and cultural factors.
So, we need vaginal and rectal microbicides for women and for men to help stop the epidemic in its tracks. I hope to help move the process along in Nigeria!
Read more from Sholotan here. And please feel free to leave a comment!
Sholotan Abdulrahaman OladimejiOfficial IRMA blogger
Lagos, Nigeria
No comments:
Post a Comment