301 HIV Cases Identified Among Students in Pretoria

By:         Lynnet Mathebula

Twitter:  @Lynnet_M  

Email:     Lynnetnomusa@gmail.com

The Thabiso Seema Foundation, located in Soshanguve, Pretoria, has recorded 301 HIV cases among students from 2022 to date. The foundation says that this highlights ongoing challenges around youth health and access to support services in the area.

Refilwe family clinic outreach initiative

Photo by Lynnet Mathebula

Foundation founder and HIV activist Thabiso Seema said that this initiative was established to help educate young people, especially in Soshanguve, and remove the stigma around HIV.

“The foundation deals with HIV stigmatisation and gender-based violence. I have been living with HIV for years, and having faced some challenges myself, I wanted to create a safe space for the young people who might find themselves in the very same position.”

Seema added that feedback from student sessions suggests that social factors like partying and the pressure to fit in contribute to risky behaviour. “The urge to fit in can influence young people’s choices,” he said.

Transitioning from high school to tertiary can affect both the behaviour and the character of an individual by changing the cues, expectations, and pressures they face daily.

Fight HIV stigma march and rally

Photo by James Basire

Health expert Lungile Moyo noted that addressing youth HIV cases requires more than just testing, it demands consistent education, accessible counselling, and community involvement. 

“I believe that we all have a responsibility in learning as much as we can about chronic diseases, we need to understand that HIV is not a death sentence,” she said.

Moyo emphasized that any person living with HIV can lead a long and healthy life if they take their treatment properly, exercise and eat healthily.

Expanding peer-led programs as well as making sexual health services youth-friendly can help reduce stigma and promote earlier testing. Without these support systems, young people are less likely to seek help.

 HIV testing

Photo by Lynnet Mathebula 

Nqobizitha Majola, a student, said that for him testing is his biggest fear, he is not sure how he would cope should it happen that he is HIV positive.

“I honestly don’t know how I would feel if I found out I was HIV positive. I believe that having one partner can help manage the spread of HIV. A person is only responsible for how they conduct themselves and may never know what their partner does behind their back,” he said.

Majola stressed that self-respect and discipline go a long way, encouraging the use of condoms and celibacy.

The Thabiso Seema Foundation urges young people to take charge of their health and test so they can know what their reality is. The organisation seeks to normalise HIV testing, offer pre- and post-counselling to students. Their goal is to build a community and safe space where everyone, whether HIV positive or negative, feels equally valued.

Read more: HIV/AIDS - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic