By Our Correspondent
Reproductive health education is a fundamental right for every youth regardless of his gender or health status, in order to have the better and healthy generation.
This remark was made by Morogoro Regional Medical Officer Dr Godfrey Mtei when opening a five-day Seminar on reproductive health issues for youth aged between 14 and 25 organized by NACOPHA with financial support from UNFPA.
He said youth living with HIV have the same rights of accessing reproductive health education as other youth, without discrimination in protecting and building a better nation.
In the training, every youth was able to explain how they have been fighting against stigma from relatives, family and friends by being open on their health status.
"We normally say stigma is over, this is not true, I was nicknamed “spana mkononi” since my health condition was getting deteriorated day by day to the extent that I could not even go to school because all my fellows were worried that I might contaminate them, this situation anguished me so much " explains one of the participant in the training on reproductive health, Maulid Makasumbaa (21).
Furthermore, he said he would like to get a partner who is also HIV positive because he thinks she will understand him very well.
Most of the participants in the training said they wished if every child born with HIV, after reaching puberty, could be informed on his health status so that he can be aware, instead of hiding it and let him hear from other people.
In her intervention, the NACOPHA Capacity Building Manager Ms. Lilian Chovenye said the training on reproductive health is a continuation of trainings that have been conducted by NACOPHA with sponsorship from UNFPA.
The training was conducted in four districts; three districts from Dar es Salaam and one from Morogoro region.