Sponsor = AIDS???

Ayanna Haskell
November 29, 2009
SOC 202

Nearly ¾ of the women in Cameroon affected by HIV/AIDS are ages 19-24. This is 3 times more then the med affected in this same age bracket. These high rates are linked to the poor economic and socio-cultural issues. Women in that age bracket do not have full knowledge as to how they are supposed to prevent themselves from getting HIV/AIDS. Although the ACSM (Association of Cameroons Social Marketing) is trying to reach out to young girls so that they can become more informed. Some of the girls in this age bracket don't even know what they are doing when they have sexual partners who are men older then them and have sex with them because boys their age don't have any money. The campaign launched to decrease the number of HIV/AIDS amongst this age bracket was titled “No to Sponsors, No to HIV/AIDS”. This title was chosen to involve not only the women but the men involved also. If the men are educated, they can tell the women that what they are doing is not safe and maybe try to decrease the numbers and protect themselves at the same time. Some girls don't even want to know their status so they don't get tested and keep having sex and usually give it to their partners.

AIDS is a serious issue among the African community. Its hard to think of someone my age having HIV/AIDS and not wanting to know and give it to someone else. I'm sure if these girls new the risks they were taking and the consequences of having the disease, they would think twice about what they are doing. The idea that a young girl can have a wealthy older man and get what she wants and not have to worry about being able to live comfortably. Although it sounds fine to them, the risks they are taking are not.