In an era of ‘hook-up’, who is talking to young people about staying HIV free? 

BY KINGSLEY OBOM-EGBULEM

Today is World AIDS Day- the 38th observance since 1988 when it was first observed.

Some 15, 20 years ago, the whole place would have been buzzing and bustling with activities to mark the day. But not much is happening today. Maybe because we have moved from a time when we had 4m people living with the virus in Nigeria to the current prevalence of 2.2 million.

I’m not sure if we’ll be able to take our attention away from the current security challenges confronting our country. But we need to pause and observe this day, given that it is as concerning as the banditry, insurgency and terrorism currently plaguing our country, particularly in the north.

HIV is still with us. Though people are living longer, normal and healthier lives with the virus, danger is not completely averted, as some of our football commentators would say.

When you hear statements like “AIDS still dey? I think say e no dey again o”, then you know we are still far from getting out of the danger zone, and I can’t but commiserate with our young people, the most affected demographic. To truly contain the spread of HIV while providing treatment to help those already infected live a productive life, we shouldn’t be having new infections.

But that’s not the case. We are recording new infections, especially among young people.

One of my favourite parodies is “Experience is not the best teacher”. And it works very well, especially when my audience comprises teenagers and young people.

Come to think of it, what does it really profit a 15-year-old girl to get pregnant just to truly understand the implications of teenage pregnancy? And what is the wisdom in a young man experimenting with drugs just to understand how addictive and destructive drugs can be?

Confucius, a renowned Chinese Philosopher and sage, alluded profoundly to this fact of life in his postulation on the ways to acquire wisdom. “By three ways we may learn wisdom” he says. “First by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”

By implication, Confucius was saying that you really can’t live long enough if you have to learn only from your experience. This dictum should ordinarily help to restrain our young people as they conduct themselves in an era of HIV and AIDS.

Sadly, it is not.

Early this year, I was one of the resource persons facilitating a broadcast media course for budding broadcasters. And right in my class was a public health physician who works in one of the HIV/AIDS clinics.  I was asking the course participants about their motivation for enrolling in that course when this doctor jolted everyone with her response. “I’m hoping to start a podcast soon to teach young people about HIV prevention and healthy sexual behaviour”, she said.

That not only caught my attention, but it also blew me away.

“So, what specific changes do you intend to see and how would you measure impact and evaluate how well you are doing when you start this podcast?”, I pushed further. She hesitated and by the time she was able to put her thoughts into words, my feet were wobbling. “Sir, a lot of people have forgotten that HIV is still with us and spreading like wildfire, people are having casual and unprotected sex and almost every week, we are seeing close to 100 new, confirmed cases in my facility alone.”

That’s a major cause for alarm. Unfortunately, nobody is alarmed. “I was on leave for two weeks, and by the time I came back, we’ve had close to 300 new cases, most of them young people”, the lady added.

With a fast spreading, deeply enduring hook-up culture that most young people find attractive, it is not surprising that HIV is still spreading in Nigeria.

Like never before, sex with just anybody is becoming a major indication of a liberal and hip society, and Nigerians are not left out. A lot is going on in “za oda room”, albeit without condoms. But in other liberal societies, where sex is constantly on the table, the need for protection is also a popular culture.

So, our growing number of new HIV infections is not unfounded.

“Nigeria recorded a 55 per cent drop in condom distribution,” says the United Nations AIDS programme (UNAIDS) in its 2025 World AIDS Day report. This drop in distribution resulted in a 34 per cent drop in condom use among sexually active Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 45.

A significant drop in condom distribution and use in an era of HIV and AIDS has dire consequences. No doubt. We are dealing with an anticipated surge in new HIV infections, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unintended pregnancies.

That is why our lady doctor would go on a week’s vacation, and by the time she’s back, she has about 300 new cases to deal with.

Our case in Nigeria is even peculiar because we are also dealing with a surge in cases of drug and substance abuse. There is a strong, well-documented correlation between a drug and substance abuse epidemic and prevalence in HIV and other communicable diseases like Hepatitis B and C.

Public health data consistently shows that societies battling significant drug and substance abuse often face a higher burden of HIV transmission due to several key factors one of which is impaired judgment and risky sexual behaviour. Drug and alcohol use increases impulsivity and reduces inhibitions. This can lead to engaging in unprotected sexual behaviours, and by implication, increases the risk of HIV transmission.

Also, poor drug addicts often engage in survival sex. And it happens to both men and women. In survival sex, the one “offering the service” is at the mercy of the one paying. Women engage in it to feed and buy drugs, while some young men engage in it to satisfy older men in need of anal sex. When done without protection (which is often the case), the outcomes are part of what is reflected in our HIV/AIDS situation.

Someone should make it a duty to talk to our young people and persuade them to play their role in contributing toward an HIV free society.

Kingsley Obom-Egbulem is a communication specialist, social entrepreneur and teen life coach.