Health officers in Kiambu District Hospital have dismissed myths and misconceptions surrounding the HIV/AIDS infection and treatment among the youth.
Speaking at the hospital today, Lucy Wanjuu, an officer at the Comprehensive Care Centre in the hospital said that the youth in the county have been deceived by false information about HIV/AIDS and they have ended up believing the falsehoods.
Wanjuu said that beliefs that you would contract the virus by having any physical contact with an infected person were still held onto, regretting that the community stigmatised those who were suspected to be positive, therefore making them fall into depression.
“Most people forget that the virus was only transmitted through blood contact, and further explained that any items used by the victims could not spread the infection.
Wanjuu said though some may understand that the virus is only transmitted through blood, other possible ways of transmission are disregarded and focus only sexual intercourse as they viewed the infected as immoral which may not be the case.
Teresia Mbua, another officer at the hospital, noted that these myths made the patients adamant to come out in the open for Anti-Retroviral drug treatment.
“People focus on the embarrassment of coming for the drugs rather than their benefits. Drugs help prolong life for those infected,” she said.
Mbua said that even those who visited the hospital for Antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs usually do not wait at the Comprehensive Care Centre desk.
“Some prefer sitting outside and mark their position on the queue. They only come in when it is their turn,” she says.
This has made many of them to be in denial for a long time.
Due to the myths and misconceptions surrounding the disease, the health workers have a counselling programme where correct information is publicised.
The session is aimed at giving the victims a platform to air their concerns, ask questions and get clarifications on information they have.