Intsha Iyabuza . . .

Ingculaza—Ingabe Ngisengozini?

UMAGAZINI i-Newsweek wathi isaziso ‘sishaqe izwe.’ Ngo-November 7, 1991, umsubathi odumile wase-U.S. u-Earvin “Magic” Johnson watshela abezamaphephandaba ukuthi wayesengenwe yigciwane lengculaza. Ngenxa yalokhu kuvuma okwethusayo, imizila yezingcingo yezokwaziswa ngengculaza yashayelwa izingcingo eziningi. Ezinye izibhedlela zagcwala izicelo zokuhlolelwa ingculaza. Abanye abantu banciphisa ngisho nokuziphatha kwabo okuxekethile—okungenani okwesikhashana.

Mhlawumbe ithonya elikhulu lalesisaziso laba phezu kwentsha. Umqondisi wezinkonzo zezempilo eyunivesithi ethile uthi: “Abafundi basithatha ngokungathi sína isigijimi esithi ‘kwenzekile kuye, kungenzeka nakimi’—okwesikhashana. . . . Kubafundi abaningi, lokho okwenzeka kuMagic Johnson akwenzi ukuba bashintshe ukuziphatha kwabo. Namanje basacabanga ukuthi ‘bangaphunyuka.’”

IBhayibheli laprofetha ukuthi izikhathi zethu zaziyophawuleka ‘ngobici,’ okungukuthi, izifo ezithelelwanayo ezisakazeka ngokushesha. (Luka 21:11) Ngokuqinisekile ingculaza ingabizwa ngokuthi ubici. Kwathatha iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili—kusukela ngo-1981 kuya ku-1989—ukuthi abokuqala abangu-100 000 abanengculaza batholakale e-United States. Kodwa kwathatha iminyaka emibili kuphela ukuba kubikwe abesibili abangu-100 000 ababenayo!

Ngokwe-U.S. Centers for Disease Control, lesibalo esidabukisayo “sigcizelela ubukhulu bomqedazwe [wengculaza] obanda ngokushesha e-United States.” Nokho, ingculaza iwumqedazwe wembulunga yonke, obangela ukufa kwabantu abaningi nosizi e-Afrika, e-Asia, eYurophu, naseLatin America. Ngokuphawulekayo, uDkt. Marvin Belzer wasesiBhedlela Sabantwana eLos Angeles ubiza ingculaza ngokuthi “inkinga esabeka kakhulu ebhekene nentsha kuleminyaka yawo-1990.”

Ukungenwa Igciwane Okungabonakali

Siyini ngempela lesifo esiyinqaba kangaka, futhi kungani sibulala kangaka? Odokotela bakholelwa ukuthi ingculaza iqala lapho inhlayiyana encane engabonakali—igciwane elibizwa ngokuthi i-HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)—ihlasela umgudu wegazi. Lapho selikhona, leligciwane liqala umkhankaso wokufuna nokubulala amangqamuzana amhlophe egazi omzimba, ama-T cell angabasizi. Lamangqamuzana afeza indima eyinhloko ekusizeni umzimba ukuba uvimbele izifo. Nokho, leligciwane lengculaza liyawakhubaza, lonakalisa isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela ezifweni.

Kungase kudlule isikhathi ngaphambi kokuba ongenwe yileligciwane azizwe egula. Kwabanye zingase zingabonakali izimpawu cishe iminyaka eyishumi. Kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi izimpawu ezinjengezomkhuhlane ziyavela—ukulahlekelwa isisindo nokuphelelwa uthando lokudla, imfiva, nesifo sohudo. Njengoba isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela ezifweni siqhubeka nokuwohloka kwaso okuyinhlekelele, isisulu sivulekela ekungenweni izifo eziningi—i-pneumonia, i-meningitis, isifo sofuba, noma izifo ezithile zomdlavuza—ezibizwa ngokuthi abasebenzisi bethuba ngoba zisebenzisa ithuba elibangelwe ukwehla kwamandla esisulu okumelana nezifo.

“Ngihlala ngisezinhlungwini ngaso sonke isikhathi,” kusho othile oyisisulu sengculaza oneminyaka engu-20 ubudala. Lesisifo siye saveza izilonda kupopopo wakhe nasemdidini. Nokho, ukuba nengculaza esigxile ngokwanele kusho okungaphezulu kokucindezeleka nezinhlungu; cishe kuzo zonke izisulu zayo, kusho ukufa. Kusukela ngo-1981 leligciwane seliye lasakazekela kubantu abangaphezu kwesigidi e-United States kuphela. Kakade sekufe abangaphezu kuka-160 000. Izazi zibikezela ukuthi ngonyaka ka-1995, inani labafayo liyophindwa kabili. Okwamanje alikho ikhambi elaziwayo lengculaza.

Intsha Isengozini

Kuze kube manje, yizehlakalo zengculaza ezingamaphesenti amancane kuphela eziye zabikwa—ezingaphansi kwephesenti elilodwa e-United States—ezihilela intsha. Ngakho-ke, kungase kungabikho bantu abasha abaziyo ngokomuntu siqu abaye babulawa yilesifo. Lokhu akusho ukuthi intsha ayikho engozini! Cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezinhlanu yazo zonke izisulu zengculaza e-United States iseminyakeni yawo-20. Njengoba kuthatha iminyaka eminingana ukuba izimpawu zibonakale, cishe abaningi balaba bantu bangenwa yileligciwane lapho besebasha. Uma lezimo ezikhona njengamanje ziqhubeka, izinkulungwane ezengeziwe zentsha ziyoba iziguli zengculaza.

Ngokwe-U.S. Centers for Disease Control, leligciwane elibulalayo licasha “egazini, esidodeni, nasoketshezini lwembotshana engenela esizalweni kubantu abanaleligciwane.” Ngakho-ke igciwane i-HIV lithathelwana ngokuba “nobuhlobo bobulili—kusetshenziswa imbotshana engenela esizalweni, indunu, noma umlomo—nomuntu onaleligciwane.” Abaningi baye basithola ngalendlela lesifo. Ingculaza futhi ingadluliselwa kwabanye “ngokusebenzisa noma ngokujovwa ngenalithi noma umjovo obusetshenziswa umuntu noma kumuntu onaleligciwane.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, “abanye abantu baye bangenwa yileligciwane ngokumpontshelwa igazi” elinaleligciwane i-HIV.—Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing: Facts, Issues, and Answers.

Ngakho-ke intsha eningi isengozini. Amanani ethusayo entsha (abanye bathi ingamaphesenti angu-60 e-United States) aye enza ukuhlola ngokusebenzisa izidakamizwa ezingekho emthethweni. Njengoba ezinye zalezidakamizwa zifakwa ngomjovo, ingozi yokungenwa yileligciwane ongalithola enalithini engcolile inkulu. Ngokokuhlola okuthile okwenziwa e-U.S., abafundi basesikoleni esiphakeme abangamaphesenti angu-82 baye baphuza utshwala, futhi bacishe babe amaphesenti angu-50 abaphuzayo manje. Ngeke uthole ingculaza ngokuphuza ibhodlela likabhiya, kodwa kamuva lingase likhubaze ukwahlulela kwakho futhi lenze kube lula ukuba uhileleke ekuziphatheni okuyingozi kakhulu kunakho konke—kokuba uhlanganyele ekuziphatheni okuxekethile kobulili, ebungqingilini noma ekuhlanganyeleni ubulili nabantu bobulili obuhlukile.

Ngo-1970 amaphesenti angaphansi kwamahlanu amantombazane aneminyaka engu-15 ubudala ayebe nobuhlobo bobulili. Ngo-1988 lelonani lase likhule laba ngaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-25. Njengoba futhi ukuhlola kubonisa, bathi beba neminyaka engu-20 ubudala, amaphesenti angu-75 abesifazane namaphesenti angu-86 abesilisa e-United States babe sebehlanganyela njalo ebulilini. Nasi esinye isibalo esithusayo: Cishe oyedwa entsheni eyisihlanu uye wahlanganyela ubulili nabantu abangaphezu kwabane. Yebo, intsha eningi ngokwengeziwe ihlanganyela ebulilini bangaphambi komshado, futhi iqala isencane kunanini ngaphambili.

Isimo sibi ngokufanayo nakwamanye amazwe. Emazweni aseLatin America, intsha eyeve eshumini elinambili engaba izingxenye ezintathu kwezine iye yahlanganyela ebuhlotsheni bobulili bangaphambi komshado. Emazweni ase-Afrika kuye kwabikwa ukuthi amadoda amaningi azikhethele amantombazane eve eshumini elinambili ukuba abe abantu ahlanganyela nabo ubulili ngenjongo yokuzama ukuzivikela kuleligciwane lengculaza. Uye waba yini umphumela? Ukubheduka kwengculaza entsheni engamantombazane yase-Afrika.

Ukusakazeka kwengculaza akuzange kuliqede leligagasi lokuziphatha okubhubhisayo. Cabangela izwe elilodwa laseLatin America. Intsha engashadile engaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-60 “ehlanganyela njalo ebulilini isengozini enkulu yokuthola igciwane lengculaza.” Nokho, ingaphansi kwamaphesenti ayishumi enomuzwa wokuthi isengozini ngokomuntu siqu. Izitshela ukuthi: ‘Ngeke kwenzeke kimi.’ Kodwa lelizwe “lingelinye lamazwe anamazinga aphakeme kakhulu abantu abangenwa yi-HIV kwelaseMelika.”—U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Kungenzeka!

Umqedazwe wengculaza ugcizelela ubuqiniso bezixwayiso zeBhayibheli ezithi “umphumela” wokuziphatha okubi ngokobulili “umunyu njengomhlonyane.” (IzAga 5:3-5, qhathanisa ne-NW; 7:21-23) Yebo, iBhayibheli ngokuyinhloko libhekisela ekulimaleni okungokomoya nokungokomzwelo. Kodwa akufanele kusimangalise ukuthi ukuziphatha okubi ngokobulili kunemiphumela eminingi elimazayo nangokomzimba.

Ngakho-ke kubalulekile ukuba intsha ibhekane ngokuqondile nengozi yokuthola ingculaza nezinye izifo ezithathelwana ngobulili. Isimo sengqondo sokuziduduza sokuthi ingculaza ‘ngeke yenzeke kimi’ singaba esibhubhisayo. “Lapho uneminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu noma eyishumi nesithupha ngisho neyishumi nesikhombisa, eyishumi nesishiyagalombili, eyishumi nesishiyagalolunye, noma engamashumi amabili, uye ucabange ukuthi uvikelekile,” kusho insizwa egama layo linguDavid. Nokho, amaqiniso abonisa okuphambene. UDavid wangenwa igciwane lengculaza eneminyaka engu-15.

Khona-ke, uma kubekwa nje ngokuqondile: Uma usebenzisa izidakamizwa ezingekho emthethweni noma uhlanganyela ebulilini bangaphambi komshado, usengozini! Nokho, kuthiwani ngokuzisholo kokuthi umuntu angahlanganyela “ebulilini obulondekile”? Ingabe zikhona izindlela ezingokoqobo umuntu angazivikela ngazo kulomqedazwe? Isihloko sethu esilandelayo kuloluchungechunge sizoxoxa ngalemibuzo.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 18]

Ezinye Izifo Ezithathelwana Ngobulili

Ingculaza iye yaba yindaba egudwini kwezamaphephandaba. Nokho, i-Medical Post iyaxwayisa: ‘ICanada ingene shí kumqedazwe wentsha we-STD [sexually transmitted disease (isifo esithathelwana ngobulili)].’ ICanada ayiyodwa. “Minyaka yonke intsha yase-U.S. eyizigidi ezimbili nengxenye ingenwa yi-STD,” kusho i-Center for Population Options ezinze e-U.S. “Lelinani limelela cishe oyedwa kwabasha abayisithupha abahlanganyela njalo ebulilini kanye nengxenye eyodwa kweziyisihlanu yalabo abane-STD ezweni lonke.”

Ngokwesibonelo, ugcunsula okwake kwacatshangwa ukuthi usuyanyamalala, usubuye ngezinkani eminyakeni yamuva nje, uhlasela izisulu eziyintsha cishe ngamanani amakhulu. Isipatsholo ne-chlamydia (okuyizifo ze-STD ezivame kakhulu e-United States) nazo ngokufanayo iye yahluleka ngokuphawulekayo imizamo yokuziphelisa. Futhi intsha ingenwa yilezizifo ngezinga elikhulu. Ngokufanayo i-New York Times ibika “ukwanda okusheshayo” kwenani lentsha ehlaselwa isifo sokumila kwezinsumpa ezithweni zangasese. Futhi izinkulungwane zentsha zinegciwane lesifo sokumila kwamabhamuza. Ngokwe-Science News, “abantu abanesifo sokumila kwamabhamuza ezithweni zangasese basethubeni elikhulu lokungenwa igciwane [i-HIV], elibangela ingculaza.”

I-Center for Population Options ithi: “Nakuba intsha inamazinga aphakeme ezifo ze-STD kunanoma iliphi iqembu lobudala, cishe ayivamile ukuthola ukunakekelwa kwezokwelapha. Lapho ziyekwa zingatholiwe futhi zingelashiwe, izifo ze-STD ziba nengxenye enkulu ekubangeleni isifo sokuvuvuka kwe-pelvis, ukungazali, ukukhulelwa okwenzeka ngendlela engavamile, nesifo somdlavuza wesibeletho.”

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Noma ubani ozijova ngezidakamizwa ezingekho emthethweni noma ohlanganyela ebulilini obuxekethile usengozini engathi sína yokungenwa ingculaza