As South Africa gears for the annual STI/condom week on 12 to 16 February 2023, SANAC Civil Society Forum (CSF) seeks to elevate the plight of rising STI infections in the country, to raise awareness among youth and key and vulnerable populations, encouraging them to take charge of their health and wellness by testing, seeking treatment and continuously practicing safe sex to not only reduce the spread of STIs but also to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS.
This year, CSF will contribute to the multisectoral Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Healthy Lifestyle Campaign mainly led by the National Department of Health in selected districts within provinces that have been identified to have a high burden of STI infections – the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape.
We believe that sexual and reproductive health services are important tools in promoting the well-being of men and women and that they contribute to women empowerment as they enable women to exercise their rights and choices through informed decisions and enable them to have control over their reproduction and sexuality.
In addition, sexual and reproductive health covers a range of aspects, including sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), condoms, and other forms of contraception, as well as youth and adolescent health services.
The campaign will be launched in the first quarter of 2023 in three districts, Chris Hani (Eastern Cape), King Cetshwayo (KwaZulu-Natal), and Overberg (Western Cape).
In South Africa, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a big problem, even though most of the infections can be cured.
The fear of being stigmatised is one of the many reasons why people are reluctant to seek medical treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
In addition, recent reports by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) state that condom use is declining among young South Africans, with just 39% of the population aged 15 and over, using condoms.
This is bad news in the country’s fight against HIV and AIDS. South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic in the world, with 8 million people living with the virus in 2022 — and with 210,000 new HIV new infections recorded in 2021. But it’s also bad news for gender equality, with young women at the greatest risk of infection. In fact, more than 10% of young women are HIV positive, compared to 4% of young men, according to recent data.
STI/Condom Week is a health awareness initiative held in the second week of February each year in South Africa to highlight the importance of condom usage and to sensitise people about sexually transmitted infections.