By Tina George, Minna
A baseline assessment report conducted by the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS) has revealed several needs of women who use drugs in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of NHVMAS, Mrs. Florita Durueke disclosed this during a five-week virtual webinar training for female journalists which began on December 20, 2022 across Nigeria.
According to Durueke, while the government should go beyond the harm reduction program currently being implemented, the women should have frequent supply of condoms and lubricants to prevent them from engaging in transactional sex.
She stressed that women who use drugs need income generating activities, skills acquisition, facilitating rehabilitation programmes, better housing, better living conditions, free access to PReP services, contraceptive access, and provision of needles and syringe.
Durueke stated that NHVMAS is collaborating with two other organizations to work with women who use drugs in two states, adding that there is need for the harm reduction programme of the government to integrate gender-based approach as the women are often left out.
“There is a need to look beyond harm reduction needle and syringe exchange programme and provide HIV prevention program that will dive into specific gender-related issues, especially for women who use drugs.”
The women also called for an end to the unnecessary police raids because, according to them, they are being raped and molested by the police during these raids, and in the process, most of the get infected with HIV.
