Training on Sexually Transmitted Infections and Gender Based Violence Given to Students
ECSU`s Center for Gender and Development organized a half day training on sexually transmitted infections (STI) and gender based violence (GBV) to some students of ECSU on Wednesday, October 23, 2013.
The training on sexually transmitted infections was given by the Dr. Girma Alemayehu, a gynecologist and obstetrician as well as a Reproductive Health Consultant working at ECSU clinic. According to Dr.Girma the training would help the participants to protect themselves and get the treatment in time from the clinic if infected, and also to focus on their major priority which is their study at ECSU.
Dr Girma Alemayehu appreciated Ethiopian women, describing them as “proactive” who never hesitate to get treatment when they have STIs. “But,” he said, “Ethiopian men, on the contrary, are not open and they are often reluctant to go to a doctor to get treatment for STIs.” According to him, they even try to blame their wives for the STI when they ask them to go with them to a doctor for treatment or even deny that they have the infection. Dr. Girma said.
“This is a major problem in our country,”
He stressed the need to get the right treatment as early as possible. Otherwise, he said, STIs even cause death, infertility, and some of them cause cancer. STIs also increase vulnerability to HIV infection by five to eight times. Dr. Girma told the participants of the training the signs and symptoms of STIs and urged them to come to the students’ clinic if they have them.
The seasoned gynecologist and obstetrician mentioned abstinence, faithfulness and consistent and correct use of either male or female condoms as major prevention methods to STIs. He concluded the training saying, “Sex is wonderful. It can give the very best moment in life. But it can also cause infections ranging from mild to fatal. These infections destroy you and your family, safe sex is the only way to protect your future.” It was learnt that in Sub Saharan African countries 10 per cent of all patients who go to health facilities for treatment have health problems that are related to STIs including HIV.
The second part of the training on gender based violence was given by Bethlehem Melese, a consultant working at ECSU Center for Gender Development. Bethlehem said types of gender based violence are three including physical, sexual and psychological or emotional. She indicated mostly women are victms of gender based violence perpetrated against them by men although few men are also victimized. Around the world, one in every three women has been a victim of some kind of gender based violence. Bethlehem said
"the superior physical strength of men, the economical dependency of women, cultures that promote the dominance of men and social norms that tolerate and justify men’s violence as major causes of violence against women."
Bethlehem mentioned sexual harassment as one of the gender based violence that can affect female students in higher learning institutions. Regarding the ways of expression of sexual harassment, she listed sexually oriented gesture or body language, touching, dirty jokes, impeding or blocking movements and forcing women to see pornography pictures among others. “And sadly,” Bethlehem said, “many men take most of these easily and don’t understand their consequences on the harassed women.” But, according to Bethlehem, sexual harassment causes physical problems such as gastrointestinal disorder, headache, inability to sleep, tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite and weight among others. It also causes psychological consequences such as anger, fear, depression, anxiety, irritability, loss of self-esteem and self-confidence and feeling of alienation and humiliation.
Dozens of students of ECSU representing all regional states of Ethiopia were in attendance at the training. They actively participated asking and answering questions