Shock as almost half of University of Zimbabwe students test HIV+
Administrators at University of Zimbabwe have been baffled by statistics that showed almost half of students at the institution are HIV positive.
The statitics emerged from a recent voluntary HIV testing at the country’s oldest university.
According to The Chronicle, the revelation has forced the institution to limit inter-residence visits between male and female students.
Confirming the results, UZ Vice Chancellor Levi Nyagura said that criticism of his management style would not deter him from limiting contact between male and female students.
“The grim statistics of sexually transmitted diseases at the institution have forced us to have a limit for inter-residence visits between female and male students. We have consulted lots of parents and all of them do not want to promote promiscuity by allowing students to enjoy married lifestyles by staying with their girlfriends in the halls of residence,” Nyagura said.
“You may be interested to know that not so long ago, we had a survey here which revealed that 47 percent of students who went for voluntary HIV testing were found to be positive. As a parent, that’s a worrisome stat. At some stage I was surprised that Swinton Hall had almost become like a maternity wing with hordes of students pregnant,” he said.
“While we acknowledge that this is an adult institution, we don’t think it’s good for us to encourage cohabitation of male and female students.”
Jimmy Wilford, the director of Saywhat, an organisation that raises awareness on HIV, said while he was not aware of the UZ survey, it could send a wrong message as some students could have been born with HIV.
