Today is February 14, 2023. It’s Val’s Day. It’s a season to share and show love to friends and family.
Valentine’s Day, also known as Valentine’s Day or Valentine’s Day, is celebrated every year on February 14.
It evolved from a Christian holiday honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and through folk traditions later became a cultural, religious celebration, and commercial importance of romance and love in many regions of the world.
It was on this occasion that the Director General of the National AIDS Control Agency, NACA, Dr Gambo Aliyu, offered some advice to the world and the people of Nigeria as the country joins the rest of the world. Celebrate Val’s Day.
Addressing Nigerians at an event in Abuja, Aliyu told Nigerians to take advantage of the spirit of love and solidarity this day signifies to know their HIV status.
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He added that young people can show their love as part of deeply caring for their loved ones with the aim of protecting them from all forms of harm and avoiding the elements. making them more susceptible to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
He wrote,
This occasion though significant in the lives of people globally, brings a lot of cause to worry about, as the expression of love, especially among adolescents, youths and other diverse populations most often falls out of context.
?This period is observed to witness a high rate of indiscriminate sexual activities and other amoral behaviours that lead to uninformed decisions among many. This development most often than not exposes many people to a high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections.
?As we express love for our partners during this Valentine?s Day, remember to love wisely. As members of a wider society your health and productivity count to your nuclear and extended families and the entire country. Nigeria stands to benefit from the pool of your contributions. So I urge you to desist from practices that might expose you to risks of contracting HIV/AIDS and/or other sexually transmitted diseases as we commemorate these special days. Once again I urge you to love wisely, share love, and not the virus.
?It is essential to reduce the trend of new HIV infection in Nigerian youths through preaching abstinence, and for those who cannot abstain, to use condoms which prevent STIs including HIV and unwanted pregnancies.
?It has become important to ensure condom option is made available as a preventive measure to youths and people of reproductive age who cannot abstain from sex, with new HIV infections highest among young people aged 15-24 years and with the national data suggesting that about 4.2 percent of young people (ages 15-24) are living with HIV.
?As we express love on this day, remember to love wisely. As members of the wider society, your health and productivity are vital to the future of our country. So, I urge you to avoid risky behaviours as we commemorate Valentine?s Day. Love Wisely, Share Love not HIV
