There is something we see in almost every part of Lagos; men sitting opposite each other, one cutting the other one’s hair, or shaving off beards, with crude instruments.
The other day I was waiting for a cab somewhere in Obalende and watched as a row of men did this. First the barber rubbed soap on the head, then the shaving began with a thin knife like instrument. I really wanted to unlook, what is my business I thought? But the man whose hair was being cut saw me watching and smiled, before I could open my mouth he said ‘you won tell me say HIV dey abi’ my smile confirmed he guessed right. He shrugged and said, ‘no be today we dey hear am, HIV no dey like that’
Like that?
In a county where millions of people are living with HIV, people still have this mindset?
You still see people presenting their feets to those guys that go about hawking manicure/pedicure services, vowing that the crude instruments being used are sterilised.
Apart from that, in saloons, when you go with you comb, and manicure sets, some stylist will act offended. Once I got a ‘anty you think say HIV dey my store?’ I told them sorry, just use my comb ehn? Thank you.’
I think the sensitisation of people on the virus and ways to avoid it should be continuous, the time the government spends in writing press statements to congratulate Wizkid and Davido, they can use in doing something that adds value to the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
While testing positive to the virus doesn’t mean life is over, thanks to anti retroviral drugs, prevention is always, always better than cure.