By Caroline Kanshabe
The surging HIV cases in Mbarara have continues to worry many, as questions continue to pop up about the cause of these worrying number that saw the district earn the second berth behind Fort Portal across the country.
The surging HIV cases are however being linked to complacency, low condom use and poverty especially among the teenage girls.
This year alone, Mbarara has already registered 440 new HIV infections, majority of who are teenage females and older men.
Dorotia, not real names, a sex worker in Mbarara city said that complacency and refusal by men to wear condoms is the reason behind HIV spread.
She says majority of her colleagues join the trade when they’re negative but, in a few days, they contract the virus.
She explains that some men remove condoms.
Leaders say teenage girls seek financial support from older men, resulting in cross generation sex.
Mbarara has over 7000 sex workers trading in hot spots of Ruti, Kijungu, Biharwe, Katete and the Central business district.
Reports indicate that majority of these offer sex as below 5000 for protected and 10,000 shillings and above for unprotected sex.
Government has always trained these sex workers on usage or PEP and PREP HIV protection methods but these are yet to embrace them thus exposing themselves to HIV.
The Uganda AIDS commission recently highlighted that condom usage in the country has drastically reduced which also explains the surge.
Since this year, Uganda has registered 52,000 new HIV cases.
Michael Matsiko the western region zonal coordinator for the Uganda AIDS Commission also blamed the increasing cases of HIV infections to the myths and misconceptions by majority men that wet women don’t spread the virus.
It is estimated that government spends on each HIV patient about Ush 700,000 per annum making HIV a public health disease importance.
Uganda has over 1.2 million HIV/AIDS patients
