As Nigeria joins the rest of the world in celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 14, Dr. Gambo Aliyu, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, has urged all Nigerians, particularly young people, to take advantage of the day’s spirit of love and togetherness to know and understand their HIV status.
Speaking in Abuja, the D-G emphasized the necessity of all Nigerians knowing their HIV status, which he described as the starting point for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care.
He stated that it was important for all Nigerians, particularly youths, to show love in the framework of sincerely caring for their loved ones to protect them from all types of damage and avoid risk factors that would make them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other STIs.
“This occasion, while crucial in the lives of people worldwide, raises many concerns, since expressions of love, particularly among teenagers, youths, and other different communities, sometimes slip out of context.”
This period has been noted to have a high percentage of indiscriminate sexual activities and other amoral behaviors, which lead to many people making rash decisions. This development frequently exposes a large number of people to a high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections.
As we express our love for our partners on Valentine’s Day, remember to love wisely. As members of a larger society, your health and productivity are important to your immediate and extended families, as well as the entire country.
“The pool of your contributions will assist Nigeria. As we celebrate these wonderful days, I ask you to refrain from engaging in activities that may put you at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. Once again I implore you to love carefully, spread love, and not the infection”.
It is essential to reduce the trend of new HIV infection among Nigerian youths via preaching abstinence, and for those who cannot abstain, to use condoms which prevent STIs including HIV and unwanted pregnancies,” the NACA boss added. It has become essential to ensure that condoms are made available as a preventive measure to youths and people of reproductive age who cannot abstain from sex, with new HIV infections highest among young people aged 15-24 years and national data indicating that approximately 4.2 percent of young people (ages 15-24) are living with HIV.
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