ABSTINENCE should not be removed from the fight against HIV, says advocate Temo Sasau, who is calling for balanced and respectful prevention strategies across Fiji.
Mr Sasau said while modern approaches such as condom use and harm reduction were important, abstinence remained a valid and effective choice for many, especially within faith-based communities.
“If abstinence is what people believe in and practise, we should not take that away from them,” he said.
This comes after the principal medical officer for Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Dr Dashika Balak, told this newspaper that abstinence and faithfulness do not work in this day and age.
“When I talk about prevention, I know about ABCs, we talk about abstinence, we talk about being faithful, using condoms. This does not work in this day and year,” she said.
But Mr Sasau warned that dismissing abstinence entirely could create division and weaken the national response.
“We are dealing with a country where religion and culture play a strong role. If we ignore that, we risk losing people from the conversation.”
He stressed that HIV messaging must not rely on a single approach.
“Not everyone is abstaining. That is the reality. So the message must be balanced and tailored to different groups.”
He said young people in particular needed honest and practical information.
“We cannot pretend everyone is making the same choices. We must speak openly about all prevention methods.”
He said the real issue was not which method to use, but whether people were properly informed.
“The problem is silence and lack of awareness. People need the truth so they can make informed decisions.”
He said the fight against HIV required unity, not division.
