As Benue state continues
to grapple with the
rising figures of HIV/
AIDS in the state,
Executive Secretary of
the Benue State Agency
for the Control of Aids
(BENSACA), Mrs. Grace
Wende has revealed
that the agency recently
discovered a 400-
member homos*xuals
club existing in Makurdi
the Benue state capital.
She said the organisation
otherwise known as Men
Sleeping with Men, MSM,
has a large membership
of male students from
higher institutions in the
state.
Wende who made this
disclosure yesterday at a
one day Training of
Media Practioners on
HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, said
the existence of the gay
club in the state was not
helping the state
government’s efforts at
curbing the spread of
the HIV virus in the state.
According to her, “the
club was discovered
during an Epidermic
appraisal carried out by
our Canadian partners in
colloboration with
BENSACA following the
state government’s
resolve to fight the
increasing trend of HIV/
AIDs in the state as
shown in 2011 survey.
â€In fact my office is
already interacting with
the group of young men
who are mostly
undergraduates in
various higher
institution of learning
located in the state.†She
stressed that the idea of
identifying with the MSM
which usually holds their
meetings in December
in Makurdi was meant to
reduce the spread of HIV
virus commonly found
among them.
Mrs Wende further urged
all stakeholders to join
the fight against the
virus in the state,
stressing, “there is a
heightened need for
scale-up of effective and
efficient HIV prevention
efforts in the state if we
must all win this war
against the virus.â€
