Why HIV is High in My community

There are many reasons for the higher prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Imo State as compared to the rest of the country. The population of Imo State is predominantly rural, consisting of communities like Agwa, which is where we focus the majority of our efforts with a plan to expand further into surrounding areas. Agwa is relatively isolated from the mainstream, and because of this, it has maintained much more of a traditional character. While retention of identity and tradition is highly valued, it comes with a great amount of superstition and ignorance. These are significant constraints to the overall development of the people and the community as a whole, and as a result, Agwa is remarkably less developed economically and socially when compared to other communities in Imo State. Poverty, isolation, and the crude traditional practices within the community are significant issues surrounding risky behavior as it relates to HIV/AIDS. There is a strong belief that sexual education is positively related to sexual promiscuity, so it is tradition that parents not speak about sexual matters with their children, and sexual education is not traditionally taught in schools. Traditions like this, in combination with Agwa’s relative isolation, lack of medical facilities, shortage of basic amenities, and high illiteracy rate make it very susceptible to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.