City of Joburg promotes safe sex

STI and condom week runs simultaneously with pregnancy awareness week, from 10 to 16 February, and it is for this reason that City of Johannesburg’s health department has launched a campaign of planned activities, on a national scale, to improve the public’s knowledge of STIs, condoms and safer sex, during this time.

“During the activities, community members will be educated on behaviours and actions that create, enhance and perpetuate the risk to acquire HIV, such as unprotected sex with a partner whose HIV status is unknown; multiple unprotected sexual partners; and injectable drug use with contaminated needles and syringes,” says Nonceba Molwele, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development.

There will be a number of talks around Joburg city with key populations, as well as one-on-one discussions with the public to educate them on STIs, HIV and AIDS.

The city aims to maintain the public’s constant awareness about the issue of safer sex in order to prevent contraction and further spread of the viruses.

“In an effort to reduce the number of new HIV and STI infections, the City is offering free male and female condoms, HIV counselling and testing, Medical Male Circumcision (at selected facilities), Antiretroviral drugs to pregnant women to prevent transmission to their unborn children, STI partner notification notices, post exposure prophylaxis after exposure or possible exposure to HIV.”

“Recently the City has trained a number of staff members to offer the Health for Men programme which specifically focuses on sexual health for men. For those already infected, all clinics in the City offer free treatment for STIs, TB and Anti-Retroviral Therapy.”

The Jozi Ihlomile HIV and AIDS door-to-door education programme is offered in 50 wards in the City.

The services offered by the City are available at all primary healthcare clinics.

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