UGawulayo—Amanqam Kwabeshumi Elivisayo
UBHUBHANI onguGawulayo awukhethi budala okanye umsantsa wesizukulwana. Iingxelo eziphuma ehlabathini lonke zinikela ubungqina obumanyumnyezi bokuba “uGawulayo Uyasasazeka Kwabeshumi Elivisayo, Utyekelo Olutsha Oluzothusayo Iingcali,” ngokutsho komxholo wenqaku elalikwiNew York Times nelalixubusha ngoGawulayo. UGqr. Gary R. Strokash, ongumlawuli kwicandelo lezonyango labafikisayo kwiziko lezonyango elidumileyo laseChicago wathi, umkhamo omkhulu uGawulayo asulela ngawo phakathi kwabeshumi elivisayo “uza kuba ngamanqam alandelayo.” Wathi, “Uyoyikeka ibe uza kutshabalalisa.” UGqr. Charles Wibbelsman, intsumpa yekliniki ejongene nezigulo zabeshumi elivisayo kwiZiko Lezonyango IKaiser Permanente eSan Francisco, wavakalisa ubuhlungu esithi: “Akukho mathandabuzo ngelokuba ubhubhani onguGawulayo weminyaka yee-1990, ukuba akukho nyango lufumanekayo, uya kuba phakathi . . . kwabeshumi elivisayo.” Ethetha ngabeshumi elivisayo abanoGawulayo, umhlohli owaziwayo ngoGawulayo wesiXeko saseNew York waphawula oku: “Sicinga ukuba ungamanqam anxunguphalisayo.”
IThe Toronto Star yaseKhanada, yaba nomxholo omkhulu ongombono owoyikekayo njengoko uGawulayo enwenwa phakathi kwabeshumi elivisayo. Omnye ugqirha wathi: “Okwangoku, le meko imaxongo ngakumbi kunokuba nawuphi na umntu ecinga. Ndicinga ukuba uyingxaki embi ngokwenene esingenakuyilawula. Ekugqibeleni siseza kufumanisa indlela embi ngayo.” Amazwi acacileyo alo gqirha aba luluvo avumelana ngamxhelo-mnye ngalo amagosa ezempilo neenkokeli zaseburhulumenteni ehlabathini jikelele njengoko isibetho sikaGawulayo sisiya sithabath’ unyawo.
Kude kube kutshanje, iingcali ezijamelene noGawulayo azizange zijonge abeshumi elivisayo njengabasesichengeni kakhulu sokwasulelwa yiHIV (human immunodeficiency virus), ebangela uGawulayo. Omnye ugqirha wesiXeko saseNew York wathi: “Sithetha ngento kunyaka ophelileyo ebiqikelelwa njengento esenokwenzeka.” Noko ke, iThe New York Times yanikela le ngxelo: “Oogqirha kunyaka nje omnye odlulileyo ababengazange babe nesigulana esasulelweyo esikwishumi elivisayo ngoku banezilishumi elinambini okanye ngaphezulu.”
Abaphengululi bavakalelwa kukuba ngoxa inkcazelo efumanekayo engabeshumi elivisayo abasulelwe yintsholongwane kaGawulayo isothusa, yinkcazelo nje encinane yobungqina bokuba kukho eninzi ngakumbi kodwa efihlwayo, ekubeni iimpawu zakhe zidla ngokungaveli de ibe yiminyaka esixhenxe ukusa kwelishumi emva kokwasulelwa. Ngoko aba basulelwe yiHIV ebutsheni beminyaka yabo yeshumi elivisayo basenokungabonakalisi zimpawu zipheleleyo zikaGawulayo de kube sekupheleni kweminyaka yabo yeshumi elivisayo okanye ekuqaleni kweminyaka yabo yama-20.
Ngokomzekelo, kuhlolisiso lwakutshanje lwazo zonke iintsana ezizelwe kwelo lizwana ukususela ngowe-1987, iSebe Lempilo leLizwana laseNew York lafumanisa ukuba usana olunye kwezili-1 000 ezizelwe ngabazali abaneminyaka eli-15 ubudala lwalunezibulala-ntsholongwane ezilwa nentsholongwane kaGawulayo, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba unina wosana olo wayesulelwe. Okothusayo kukuba uhlolisiso olufanayo lutyhila ukuba usana olunye kwezili-100 ezizelwe ngabazali abaneminyaka eli-19 ubudala lwalunezibulala-ntsholongwane ezilwa nentsholongwane kaGawulayo. Uhlolisiso olubhekele phaya lweCDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control [amaZiko Okuthintela Izifo AseUnited States]) lwatyhila ukuba ama-20 ekhulwini amadoda aseMerika nama-25 ekhulwini amabhinqa aseMerika aye afunyaniswa enoGawulayo akwiminyaka yawo yama-20. Uhlolisiso lweCDC lunikela ingxelo yokuba kwiimeko ezininzi, esi sifo safunyanwa kwiminyaka yokufikisa nokukhahlela.
Noko ke, kunokwenzeka njani oku, ekubeni kungenkankulu ukuba iintsana ezizelwe zinentsholongwane kaGawulayo ziphile zide zibe kwishumi elivisayo, ukuba ziyaphila? Zininzi izizathu zoku!
IThe New York Times yanikela ingxelo yokuba abaphengululi noogqirha bayakhawuleza ukunikela ubungqina bokuba abeshumi elivisayo banamhlanje “baba neentlobano zesini ngomlinganiselo ongathethekiyo, njengoko oko kubonwa kumlinganiselo wokwanda kwezifo ezidluliselwa ngesini phakathi kwabo.” IZiko Eliphanda Ngezinto Ezithandwa Ngabantu (Center for Population Options) linikela ingxelo yokuba nyaka ngamnye umntwana omnye kwabathandathu abakwishumi elivisayo uba nesifo esidluliselwa ngesini yaye intombazana enye kwamathandathu akwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo azifica ngesini iye ubuncinane yaba namaqabane amane awahlukahlukeneyo.
IU.S. News & World Report yanikela ingxelo yokuba, “Phezu kwazo nje izibongozo zokuba ‘makathi hayi’ umntwana oqhelekileyo okwishumi elivisayo waseMerika akasekho nyulu kubudala beminyaka eli-16.” Eli phephancwadi lathi: “Ekubeni ingabantwana abambalwa abahlolwayo, abaninzi kwabo basulelweyo abazazi ukuba banentsholongwane yeHIV.” Enye ingcali ngoGawulayo yabhala ukuba, enoba baziphethe vakalala ngokwesini okanye abanjalo yaye besebenzisa icrack cocaine, enoba bawashiyile amakhaya abo okanye akunjalo, “abakwishumi elivisayo baseMerika bangamaxhoba alula kaGawulayo. Sele behlaselwa zizifo ezisisi-2,5 sezigidi ezidluliselwa ngesini nyaka ngamnye.” UGqr. Gary Noble weCDC waphawula oku: “Siyazi ukuba indlela abaziphethe ngayo ngokwesini iphumela ekubeni babe sesichengeni esiphawulekayo sokwasulelwa.”
Ukongezelela kwizinto ezininzi nezanda ngokukhawuleza zokudlulisa intsholongwane kaGawulayo kukho abantwana abakhulela ezitratweni, abanye abakafikeleli nakwishumi elivisayo, abaninzi bawashiya amakhaya abo bebaleka ukuxhatshazwa ngabazali. Phakathi kwabo kuye kwakho inani elanda ngokuphawulekayo labo baye babhenela ekusebenziseni icrack cocaine. Abaninzi baye babhenela kubunongogo ukuze baxhase umkhwa wabo okanye bafumane indawo yokulala. Ngokomzekelo, umcebisi wabantwana waseBrazil wathi, eMzantsi Merika, “ngokufuthi amantombazana amancinane naneminyaka esithoba nelishumi ubudala aphila ngokusebenza njengoonongogo, maxa wambi ukuze nje afumane ipleyiti yokutya.” Wathi, “Phantse amaninzi awazi nto ngoGawulayo okanye ngesini. Ndiye ndabona amantombazana akhulelweyo nawayecinga ukuba ‘asulelwe’ kukumitha, njengomntu owasulelwe yingqele.”
UGqr. Philip Pizzo, ingcali kaGawulayo noyintloko yeengcali zezifo zabantwana kwiZiko Lesizwe Elijamelene Nomhlaza, wathi umkhamo wokwasulelwa yiHIV kwabeshumi elivisayo abaye bashiya amakhaya abo ukhokelela kukugula ngubhubhani onguGawulayo. “Kukho abantwana abashiye amakhaya abo abangaphezu kwesigidi nabaphila ngobunongogo. Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, abaninzi babo baza kubuyiselwa ebuthweni labantu kwakhona.”
Ngaba kuyamangalisa ke ukuba ubhubhani onguGawulayo anwenwe okomlilo wedobo phakathi kwabeshumi elivisayo ehlabathini lonke? Ngaba ukwinqanaba elingenakuthintelwa? Uya kuba njalo logama nje ukuzibetha ngoyaba izinto nokungakhathali kusaqhubeka kubalaseliswa ngabo banentsholongwane kaGawulayo nabo bangakwaziyo ukulandula kwisini sangaphambi komtshato. Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngale ngxelo evela kwiThe Sunday Star yaseRhawutini, eMzantsi Afrika. Kuhlolisiso lwakutshanje olwenziwe phakathi kwezigulana zasekliniki ezili-1 142 ezinezifo ezidluliselwa ngesini, ezingama-70 ekhulwini zavuma ukuba zazisiba namaqabane esini amathathu ukusa kwangama-80 ngenyanga. Abanye babesaqhubeka yaye besasulela abanye.
Ngelishwa, abeshumi elivisayo abaninzi abakuxhalabelanga kangako ukufumana uGawulayo. Kubo usuku ngalunye lungumzabalazo nje wokulwela ukuphila—kwiindlela ezininzi zokufa esitratweni—kangangokuba abanakuchith’ ixesha labo becinga ngento esenokuba iya kuze ibabulale kwiminyaka eliqela ezayo ukususela ngoku. Bavakalelwa kukuba ekuhambeni kwexesha ngokuqinisekileyo unyango lokubahlangula luza kufumaneka. Enye ingcali ngoGawulayo yathi: “Abo bafikisayo bangumzekelo oyintloko weqela elingakhangeli kwiminyaka elishumi ngaphambili.”
Kukwakho nengcamango ephosakeleyo neyingozi phakathi kwabaninzi yokuba amaqabane abo esini awaxoki xa esithi awanayo intsholongwane kaGawulayo. Ngokufuthi oku kudla ngokungabi njalo. Kwanakumanqanaba abhekele phaya esi sifo, ngabom amaxhoba amaninzi aye abasulele abanye kuba etyekeza ingqumbo yawo okanye eziphindezelela.
Abanakutyeshelwa abo basulelwe yintsholongwane ngeenaliti ezingcolileyo ezisetyenziselwa ukutofela iziyobisi—sixhobo eso esele sizenzel’ igama ngokudlulisa le ntsholongwane. Yaye, okokugqibela, kukho isisongelo esiya kuhlala sikho sokufumana uGawulayo ngotofelo-gazi. Amaxhoba amaninzi amsulwa sele ebulewe sesi sifo, yaye abanye baseza kubulawa ligazi elineHIV. Oogqirha nabongikazi abaninzi bayoyika ukuzihlaba ngeenaliti ezinentsholongwane kaGawulayo, okunokuthi kubuguqule ngokupheleleyo ubomi babo. Ngaba kuyamangalisa ukuba uGawulayo kuthiwe ungamanqam eminyaka yee-1990 nengaphaya?