Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper in Abuja has indicated that over 73,000 young women in Imo State have tested positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).
Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Owerri, the state capital, confirmed that a significant portion of the number of the infected are those engaged in unregulated commercial sex activities mainly as a result of the rising economic hardship.
Healthcare officials said that the rise in infections is not only alarming but indicative of a broader social and economic crisis that continued to push thousands of young women into high-risk lifestyles.
A leading epidemiologist at FMC Owerri, who preferred being anonymous, described the situation as “a public health emergency.
“We are seeing a dangerous trend where the economic desperation of young women is leading to increased vulnerability and unprotected sexual activity, resulting in widespread transmission of HIV.”
It has been confirmed that a growing number of sex workers in the state operate informally and without proper knowledge of HIV prevention methods, such as condom use and regular health screenings.
A 24-year-old university dropout, who requested anonymity, shared her experience:
“I started (sex work) because I had no other way to survive. I didn’t think it would come to this. When I was diagnosed (with HIV), I felt like my life was over. But with treatment, I’m learning how to live again.”
Meanwhile, concerned civil society organizations and public health advocates are calling on the Imo State Government and federal health agencies to take urgent action.
They advised for expanded access to HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART), adding that sexual and reproductive health education should be organized for adolescents and young adults.
They also suggested economic empowerment initiatives targeted at vulnerable women and girls.
Executive Director of a None Governmental Organization (NGO), who also preferred anonymity, stressed the need for policy reform, adding: “We must shift from moral condemnation to harm reduction. “These young women need support, not shame.”
According to UNAIDS, Nigeria has the second-largest HIV epidemic in the world.
