I ’m a Nurse in South Sudan and I Connect Sex Workers to HIV Care and Treatment

By Joice Yari, Key population outreach nurse A nurse draws blood to test for HIV and begins counseling a client at the Saint Bakhita Health Centre in Yei, South Sudan. Photo taken by Trevor Snapp for IntraHealth International.November 03, 2021Every day, I go out into communities and talk with sex workers and their clients. I tell them about HIV and encourage them to get tested. And when I identify someone who is HIV-positive, I enroll them in antiretroviral treatment (ART), the drug regimen that will help them stay healthy and keep their viral load down, so they are less likely to transmit the disease.I provide and connect the women to other services, such as family planning, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and services that respond to gender-based violence, which unfortunately many female sex workers in South Sudan face.As a woman providing HIV/AIDS services in South Sudan, I’m proud of my work.Here theHIV infection rate for the general population is 2.3%, but for female sex workers, it is16%.To reach the country’s goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030, we must connect those who are at high risk of contracting and spreading the virus with the right services. This includes identifying people who are HIV-positive (especially those who do not know their status), providing them with life-saving antiretroviral therapy, and helping them stay on their treatment. These steps will reduce AIDS-related deaths and prevent further tra...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: HIV & AIDS Community Engagement Gender Equality Health Workers Community Health Workers Source Type: news