According to the survey conducted by HDI and Ministry of Health, it was proved that continued stigma, discrimination and stereotypes against People with HIV and other vulnerable people are the major factors of HIV prevalence.
This was discussed during the refreshment of 30 Civil Society Organizations that advocate for Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, in the end of December 2021, the training was organized by IHORERE MUNYARWANDA (IMRO).
MUHIRWA Sulemani, reproductive health expert and a trainer revealed that, due to various reasons such as religious beliefs, social and culture norms are hampering the achievements of SRHR (Sexual Reproductive Health Rights).
Those hindrances lead to stigma (a mark of disgrace that sets individuals and
Groups apart from society based on belonging to a certain group) that results in hopelessness and distress and victimize more the already vulnerable person, because he/she feels like being rejected by the society.
As they face those challenges, they tend to detest their lives and orient their health a suicidal career of unprotected sexual intercourses, which increase the HIV provenances.
LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual and Transgender), Sex workers, People who inject Drugs are the most vulnerable people, and the participants were urged to play a great role in educating general public on their rights.
“People should differentiate culture norms from rights, people tend to abuse this vulnerable group basing on biblical facts, one tend to discriminate them, saying, this one should not deserve this and that, who are you?” Mwananawe Aimable, IMRO National Coordinator challenged the participants.
According to the latest figures, 35.5% in 2019 of sex workers are HIV positive, which has dropped in the last three years, as it stood on 50.6% in 2010 while it stood at 45.8% in 2015.
Participants spoke out….
Participants from different Civil Societies, mainly those working in health related sector have expressed their ideas with regard to health reproductive health.
“ It was revealed that, the more we stigmatize those key population, the easier it becomes for STIs diseases to be propagated. We have to change some of our mindset of excluding them because we are creating an environment of stigma which lead to depression and increase the prevalence rate for HIV and other transmissible diasease” Said Mugabo Ildephone, one of participants
According to Umulisa Yvone, the trainings was so important because it contributes in increasing awareness and knowledge on reproductive health.
“This is an important meeting for us who are in health sector, we have learnt a lot about some untold lifestyle of LGBT people, and we shall be the agents of change to the people we represent and the Rwandan society as whole in changing some negative attitudes to key population such discrimination and stigma” She said
Some issues were hot to discuss such as whether LGBT behavior is inborn or a western-made.
The trainer has revealed, according to scientific research, the issue of LGBT is born with and people should differentiate it from Sodom and Gomore blibical narration.
By MUHIRE Désiré
