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Robert Mugagga
Sometime back, during the commemoration of 25 years after
the first HIV/AIDS case was detected in Uganda, President Museveni
urged Ugandan law-makers to consider hanging for
those that deliberately infect others with HIV.
Some women and friends working with women groups and NGOs that
I have talked to, interpreted the President’s warning
as being aimed at rapists and infected men who prey on unsuspecting
schoolgirls and adult women and end up infecting them.
In other words, these women appeared to suggest that it
is okay for HIV-positive women to infect HIV-negative men,
but not vice versa. Their argument is that in most cases
it’s the men who start and determine relationships!
In addition, they seem to suggest that women share no blame
for entering relationships through which they can get infected.
They also don’t seem to consider the possibility of
women facilitating those tempting situations that force
sexually mad men into ‘raping’ them. I mean,
for instance, the indecent dressing, excessive drinking
and staying out late with strangers who end up taking advantage
of them!
It’s high time such women were told the plain truth:
you can’t eat your cake and at the same time have
it. Those that decide to participate in a dog dance should
never complain of being beaten by fleas! Why should women
that indulge in situations that may end up in HIV infection
leave all the blame only to the men?
Truly, Ugandan laws have for long tried to protect women
at the expense of men, or even children. Just look around
and see the point. Even in cases of separation or divorces,
wives will in most cases be favoured; they are even allowed
custody of the children irrespective of the fact that in
some families it’s the fathers that care and whom
the kids love most. Besides, the courts don’t seem
to care that some mothers have been implicated in child
torture cases, some ending in deaths!
While the President called for the hanging of those (read
men) that deliberately infect others (read women) with HIV,
it’s saddening that the President said nothing about
the protection of hundreds of newly born babies that everyday
“acquire” the killer virus from their irresponsible
mothers.
It’s true that during antenatal clinic visits many
expectant mothers, under the guise of privacy, still refuse
to test for HIV/AIDS, which would guarantee free treatment
in case they were found positive. That treatment would help
reduce the changes of infecting their babies. But the President
doesn’t seem to see anything wrong with this!
In addition, nowadays one hears disciplinarians shouting
themselves hoarse, warning young girls, especially students,
to guard against older men (sugar daddies). They hardly
talk about sugar mummies who are on rampage spoiling and
confusing young boys.
This reminds me of that highly publicised case in Kamuli
district during the nineties when a 16-year-old primary
school boy was arrested and prosecuted for impregnating
his female teacher who happened to be a married woman!
The two had confessed to having had a secret and serious
affection for each other, but while the boy was being dragged
to Police custody, the adult woman had no case to answer!
Such are the Ugandan laws.
Lastly, with regard to prosecution and hanging of those
that deliberately infect others with the AIDS virus, it
remains to be seen how our courts will determine the culprits.
Remember we are told that the majority of Ugandans (about
80%) actually don’t know their HIV status and have
never bothered to go for testing!
The courts may also experience some difficulties when it
comes to some cases of rape. Delays in testing suspected
rapists to determine whether they were positive at the time
of committing the crime may make it difficult to tell who
actually infected the other: The rapist or the victim?
It is possible for the rapist to be HIV-negative and the
victim unknowingly HIV-positive!
rmugagga@yahoo.co.uk
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