AN HIV activist has warned people against exposing themselves to vices that will put them at risk of contracting HIV during the festive season. Henry Sakala says during this time, two out of 10 people have unprotected sex with more than two people, making them vulnerable to contracting HIV. He said during the festive season, there is more than just Santa Claus coming to families and communities because of illicit behaviours.

Speaking in an interview, Dr Sakala said Zambia, like many other countries, celebrates the festive season, and during this period, some people engage in illicit activities that endanger their health. “Excessive beer and substance abuse, unprotected sexual encounters and over-spending and unrealistic borrowing characterise the festive season.

There are a lot of risks associated with one-night stand such as unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV,” Dr Sakala said. Dr Sakala said during this season, most people engage in risky behaviours due to alcohol and other factors leading to some people contracting HIV. He said during an observational behaviour trend analysis conducted on selected clinics in Lusaka, it was discovered that most people engage in illicit activities.

He said at each clinic, interviews were conducted with 10 people per cohort and results showed that two out of 10 people at least had unprotected sex with more than one person during this period. “What is worrying is the uptake of health services after risky activities. The consequences of this will be an increase in new HIV cases and this should be observed in February 2020 using clinical data,” Dr Sakala said. He said the data collected during the festive season will be reviewed in February 2020. Usually, new HIV cases and new cases of STIs, especially hepatitis B, syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia are reported.