This entry is a part of our World AIDS Day Blogathon.  During this week we share our experiences, stories, and ideas about how HIV affects young people around the world. Join the blogathon .

Voluntary counselling and testing should not course you fever

 In short where is your lever?

 Why do you shiver?

 I expect you to be a leader to deliver

 Your future depend on this my brother

Yes am talking also to you my sister

 No am not a preacher

Just a messenger

Providing you with a chance

 To a decisive and well organized future

Bringing development to the society

Educating our community

 Creating liberty of information

Increasing awareness and drawing attention.

Break the silence know your status!!!!!!!!!!!!

This entry is a part of our World AIDS Day Blogathon.  During this week we share our experiences, stories, and ideas about how HIV affects young people around the world. Join the blogathon .

The youth advocate are young people who have dedicated their time to see that issues surrounding young people are voiced out, most especially discrimination on young people right. We define discrimination as any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of age, which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by young people irrespective of their capacity.
 
As a member of this group, after several research, views and stories of different people, I realize that the rights of young people are not considered. To top this is a story of a friend of mine who after finding his status, his parent and friends got to know also, which was the beginning of hell for him because his parent started seeing every thing he does and touch as being infected, his friend were not supportive. He was very disturbed and sick the only thing he was waiting for at that time was for death to come.
 
So one of his friend who is a social worker under HIV/AIDS field decided to help him. He travel with his friend to another state were no one new his status, his friend took good care of him gave him all the necessary support until he got him self again.
 
Then one faithful day, during a program organized by his friend he decided to test him self again, to his surprise his result came out negative, he could not believe it so he went for another test at the hospital and the result came out negative again.
 
With curiosity he went back to the hospital were he first tested, and he asked to be tested again, the result was negative, and then the doctors realize they gave him another person’s result.
 
He went back to his parent and told them he was negative, with regret they asked for forgiveness and he united with them.
 
So therefore I don’t see reasons why we should discriminate/stigmatize people because it might lead to an early grave, at an early age.
 
 

Reproductive health vis-a vis poor living conditions in our communities of Nigeria is one major issue that needs to be addressed, because there is link between poverty and immorality.

In remote communities like mine, what we usually do is to go to farm in the morning, work the whole day, thereafter parents go to there different meeting point to relax and wine. Sexual activities is like a norm among youths and we don’t have good information on sexually transmitted infections or even sex education as it were. The only information you get from the older people is ‘don’t indulge in sex, because if you do, anything that comes out of it you will face it yourself’, and ‘anything’ might be pregnancy, which is widely known to us, forgetting the other RH issues. Some of the older ones might even encourage the youth to have sex, telling them it is a sign of maturity!! Is it?.

Here, the young people are the most affected and this makes the theme for this year's International Youth Day, “Sustainability: our Challenge our Future”, as an important step toward a greater and better community. If only the government would listen to our cry and make thing easy for us, by including the welfare of young peoples health in the policy and also make sure it is implemented, especially as it regards providing information and services that can help us make informed choices.

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