In my previous post, I tried to answer a commonly asked question: Is Hiv Still Common In Nigeria where I talked extensively about the new myths about Hiv/Aids IN Nigeria.
Hiv and Aids feel very old and are frequently thought to have disappeared in Nigeria. This is why people now live carelessly and also damn every known mode of transmission of HIV/aids in Nigeria.
Another reason I feel patients feel Hiv/Aids is not as serious as it was perceived to be is because of the emergence of other viruses such as the covid-19.
As a health counsellor with years of experience relating to Hiv/Aids patients in Nigeria, I know that the effects of damning the mode of transmission of HIV/aids in Nigeria are still as grave as it was at the first discovery in Nigeria.
When Was HIV/AIDs First Discovered In Nigeria
According to Nasidi and Harry, The first HIV case in Nigeria was diagnosed & reported in 1985 and 1986 respectively in Lagos. The virus was diagnosed in one young female sex worker aged 13 whose name was never to be known. This is opposed to the case of Yinka Jegede-Ekpe who personally made her status known publicly.
In this post, I will write extensively about the 3 core modes of transmission of HIV/aids in Nigeria that you have grossly neglected or taken with levity at the detriment of your health.
Shall we? Let us get straight to it.
3 Mode Of Transmission Of HIV/AIDs In Nigeria
Mode 1: Unprotected Sexual Intercourse.
Very many Nigerians seem to have become so accustomed to hearing the word “Abstain from Unprotected sex” that they laugh it off as too common.
Unprotected sex in Nigeria has become rampant, especially among the younger generations. In a recent report from Unicef Data Center, In 2020, about 1.75 million [1.16 million-2.3 million] adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 were living with HIV in the entire world. Adolescents accounted for about 5% of all people living with HIV and about 11% of new adult HIV infections.
For older persons in Nigeria too, while their numbers are not on the hike, they constitute a good number of people living with the virus as a result of engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse.
Why do Nigerians Engage in Unprotected sexual intercourse?
- The myth that protected sex is not satisfactory. I have had the opportunity to speak with a few persons in Nigeria who contracted the virus by this means, and from their confession, they had contracted the virus simply by believing the above myth.
- The urge to explore something New. This is common among the younger folks who sometimes brag among themselves about who has had flesh-to-flesh intercourse. The ones among them who have not, feel bad and begin to long for it.
- For money. Owing to the increasing rate of unemployment and poverty in the country, people damn the consequences of unprotected sex simply because of pecuniary gains.
- Addiction/Lack Of Satisfaction. This is commonly heard among married people who are feeling unsatisfied after rounds of sex time with their partner.
Mode 2: Blood Transfusion.
This is another very highly sensitive mode of transmission of HIV/aids in Nigeria. While this might not be a very common mode of transmission of the virus, it is still a very potent mode of transmission.
When blood is not properly screened in the hospital, that is a good mode of transmission of HIV/aids in Nigeria in that a patient may get the blood in hopes that a proper screening has been carried out on the blood. This is common especially in emergency cases, among drug addicts who use the same syringe.
Mode 3: Mother To Child.
This is another significant mode of transmission of HIV/aids in Nigeria in that the virus is transmitted from the mother to her unborn child. During pregnancy, every woman is supposed to visit the hospital for antenatal which also covers HIV status checks.
For positive women who do not know their status during pregnancy, the mother-to-child mode of transmission is the swiftest means of transmitting the virus to an innocent child.
This is why it is advisable to visit the hospital for proper checks for parents who are not sure of their current status.
So far, I have tried to outline and explain the 3 modes of transmission of HIV/aids in Nigeria. My singular aim is to help you become better armed to never contract HIV in Nigeria.
Simply let me know what you think in the comment section below.
