CAROLINE MUTOKO OPENS UP ABOUT LOSING CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS TO HIV/AIDS

Renowned media personality Caroline Mutoko has opened up about losing multiple family members to HIV/AIDS, using her platform to call for a return to the disciplined prevention culture of the past.

Speaking candidly, Mutoko reflected by her generation as young adults. “Those of us who grew up then… we knew there were two things we needed to be able to just get through our lives and be able to actualise on our dreams. We needed to know our HIV status, and we needed to be able to use condoms. And it was in our face. It was everywhere.”

She also talked about losing close relative to the HIV pandemic in the 90s. “I as Caroline, I have lost family members, close ones,” Mutoko revealed. “We buried those men, and then a few years later, we buried their wives, and then their children went on ARVs.”

Adding, “If you are 35 [or younger] and you are HIV free, then your mother was very clear about the fact that she needed to be careful. And then your father was constantly told… there’s some things you do not do because you could wipe out your entire family.”

Her message comes amid concerning data showing high infection rates among young people aged 15 to 35. “It worries me that you don’t get it,” she stated, addressing the current generation. “You’ve gotta get tested. And then if you find out you’re positive, there’s a way to live. And if you find out you’re negative, you hold on to that thing with all your might.”