34th World AIDS Day : Students Sensitised On Social Media Dangers

Do you practise safe sex? Do you know your HIV status? What are the consequences of getting involved in a sexual relationship? How do you use the social media? What kind of messages and images do you put on social networks?  These are some of the questions some 120 students from different secondary schools in Yaounde and its environs answered during an educative talk organised by the Pan-African NGO of African First Ladies: African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, yesterday November 24, 2021 in Yaounde.  The event was within the 6th edition of the Cameroon Month against AIDS, and as prelude to the celebration of the 34th edition of the World AIDS Day on December 1, 2021; under the theme, “Ending inequality, Ending AIDS, Ending Pandemics”. 
The theme of the educative talk was, “HIV/AIDS and Social Networks”. Experts from African Synergy said the advent of social networks has taken a prominent place in the access of young people to information and in the management of their interpersonal relations. The phenomenon is not without impact on the way adolescents today enter into relationships. In the area of sexual health, the emergence of social networks is changing the way young people relate to each other while exposing their lives and intimacy. 
The Executive Secretary of African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering, Jean Stéphane Biatcha told the press that the dissemination of and pornographic images on the internet and social networks are all practices that are increasing the vulnerability of young people, particularly girls to the risk of HIV infection. He reiterated that for the past years, educative talks have focused on youths and their sexuality, when talking about HIV/AIDS. But this year, given the recent happenings on social media with the pornographic images of young girls seen on various networks, the Pan African NGO of African First Ladies felt there was ne...