Preventing universities from becoming HIV hotspots
04 Jul 2025 01:24pm
Photo for illustration purposes only.
THE recent revelation that 222 students in higher learning institutions were diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the past year alone should serve as a wake-up call, not just for the government and educational institutions, but also for parents and society at large.
What's even more alarming is that many of those affected are only 18 or 19 years old.
According to Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, a total of 1,091 HIV cases were recorded over the past five years among young people in this age group. This worrying statistic points to high-risk behaviours taking place at increasingly younger ages, often undetected and unchecked.
Earlier, Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) honorary secretary Dr Zaiton Yahaya also revealed a rise in HIV cases among secondary school students, many of which are linked to sexual activity.
This is no longer just a public health concern, it is a social crisis that demands immediate attention.
While the introduction of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as a preventive measure is welcomed, it remains a reactive step. What is needed now is a more proactive and preventive approach.
It is perhaps time for the government to seriously consider making HIV screening a mandatory requirement for admission into public higher education institutions.
This is not about punishment or discrimination. Rather, it opens the door for early intervention, whether that be in the form of treatment, counselling, or comprehensive sexual health education.
Such screenings can be carried out discreetly and confidentially, much like the physical health assessments that are already required for new students. Most importantly, this move would align with broader efforts to curb the rising number of HIV cases, especially among young people.
We must stop treating this as an isolated issue.
At the same time, there is a pressing need to review existing health policies, including allowing minors to undergo HIV testing and receive treatment without parental consent, especially in high-risk cases.
Unless decisive action is taken now, we risk seeing these numbers continue to climb year after year.
Let's not wait until this silent epidemic spreads even further before we act.
A firm stance today could save thousands of lives in the future.
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Preventing universities from becoming HIV hotspots
What's even more alarming is that many of those affected are only 18 or 19 years old. By LIDAH PENGARANG 04 Jul 2025 01:24pm Photo for illustration purposes only. THE recent revelation that 222 students in higher learning institutions were diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the past year alone should serve as a wake-up call, not just for the government and educational institutions, but also for parents and society at large. What's even more alarming is that many of those affected are only 18 or 19 years old. According to Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni, a total of 1,091 HIV cases were recorded over the past five years among young people in this age group. This worrying statistic points to high-risk behaviours taking place at increasingly younger ages, often undetected and unchecked. Earlier, Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) honorary secretary Dr Zaiton Yahaya also revealed a rise in HIV cases among secondary school students, many of which are linked to sexual activity. This is no longer just a public health concern, it is a social crisis that demands immediate attention. While the introduction of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as a preventive measure is welcomed, it remains a reactive step. What is needed now is a more proactive and preventive approach. It is perhaps time for the government to seriously consider making HIV screening a mandatory requirement for admission into public higher education institutions. This is not about punishment or discrimination. Rather, it opens the door for early intervention, whether that be in the form of treatment, counselling, or comprehensive sexual health education. Such screenings can be carried out discreetly and confidentially, much like the physical health assessments that are already required for new students. Most importantly, this move would align with broader efforts to curb the rising number of HIV cases, especially among young people. We must stop treating this as an isolated issue. At the same time, there is a pressing need to review existing health policies, including allowing minors to undergo HIV testing and receive treatment without parental consent, especially in high-risk cases. Unless decisive action is taken now, we risk seeing these numbers continue to climb year after year. Let's not wait until this silent epidemic spreads even further before we act. A firm stance today could save thousands of lives in the future. More Like This
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Bolder measures needed to curb HIV transmission among IPT students
KUALA LUMPUR - Data shared by the Malaysian AIDS Council in April revealed a worrying reality: 44 per cent of those infected with HIV in the country are youths aged between 20 and 29. According to reports quoting the council's honorary secretary Dr Zaiton Yahya, most new infections involve school leavers and students from institutions of higher learning (IPT). According to Dr Mohammad Mujaheed Hassan, a lecturer at the Department of Social Science and Development, Faculty of Human Ecology at Universiti Putra Malaysia, the current strategies are no longer relevant to today's youth. - 123RF photo (Photo for illustration purpose only) Two days ago, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni disclosed that 222 cases of IPT students infected with HIV were reported last year. This figure is part of the total 1,091 HIV cases involving IPT students reported between 2021 and 2024. These alarming statistics should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities to urgently investigate why a growing number of educated young people are being infected with HIV. Are the current measures - leftover from the time when HIV infections were mainly due to drug needle sharing - still relevant? AN OUTDATED APPROACH According to Dr Mohammad Mujaheed Hassan, a lecturer at the Department of Social Science and Development, Faculty of Human Ecology at Universiti Putra Malaysia, the current strategies are no longer relevant to today's youth. He said current HIV awareness programmes still rely on conventional methods such as public lectures, leaflet distribution and exhibitions, which are less engaging to students. "The failure to tailor approaches to the communication style of younger generations has led to poor participation in these programmes. Moreover, most programmes tend to attract those at lower risk of HIV infection, that is, those who are not sexually active or not exposed to risky behaviours,' he told Bernama. The expert explained that such methods alienate the actual target group, namely students who fall into high-risk categories, such as those who are sexually active, use dating apps or engage in same-sex relationships as they would feel afraid or embarrassed to participate in such programmes. "They are worried about being judged or recognised by friends or lecturers, so they choose to avoid any HIV-related programmes. As a result, the group most in need of information and support ends up not taking part in the programmes concerned,' he added. Citing findings from a study he carried out recently, Mohammad Mujaheed also said many students were unaware of HIV-related programmes in their universities, showing that HIV prevention messages are not effectively reaching the intended audience. "A large number of male and female students said they had never received direct information from the university and only learned about HIV through social media or stories shared by friends and acquaintances,' he said, adding the study showed students were more drawn to interactive content such as short videos, social media posts or experiential activities. The study, titled 'The Rise of HIV Cases in Higher Education Institutions: Exploring Risk Behaviours, Effectiveness of Prevention Programmes and Strategies for the Health and Well-Being of Young Generations', was conducted in January and involved 500 respondents from institutions of higher learning in the Klang Valley, Selangor and Putrajaya. LIFESTYLE Discussing the causes of HIV infection, Dr Mohammad Mujaheed pointed to liberal lifestyles, social pressure and the normalisation of premarital sex, including same-sex relations, without protection as major contributing factors. According to findings from his study, some respondents admitted to becoming sexually active after completing their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia exam, driven by curiosity and a lack of formal education on sexual health. He said some also used social applications such as Grindr, Hornet and Tinder to find partners, which could have led to casual sexual encounters without adequate protection. "Some engaged in oral or anal sex at a young age and only became aware of HIV risks after being diagnosed. They were also more exposed to pornography and unfiltered sexual content, especially on social media,' he said. Shockingly, some students admitted to intentionally transmitting HIV to others as an act of revenge or what is referred to as "revenge transmission'. In such cases, he said, the students knowingly withheld their HIV-positive status from their partners and continued engaging in unprotected casual sex. "They admitted to intentionally spreading the virus, saying they didn't want to bear the burden alone. They were consumed by anger, betrayal and disappointment and felt others should 'feel the same pain',' he said, stressing that this issue demands serious attention from the authorities. He said the study found most infections resulted from casual sex, with many students engaging in unprotected sex with different partners. "Factors such as trust in their partners, lack of knowledge or emotional and peer pressure led them to ignore protective measures,' he said. He also noted that same-sex relationships among male students (MSM - men who have sex with men) were identified as one of the risky behaviours. NEED SHIFT IN APPROACH Recommending that prevention efforts be improved by adopting more targeted, youth-friendly and stigma-free strategies to reach those most at risk, Mohammad Mujaheed said authorities must move away from generic, moralistic and untargeted prevention messages. "There is now an urgent need for bolder and more realistic approaches to address HIV transmission among IPT students, similar to how harm reduction strategies were successfully used in the past to curb the spread of HIV among injecting drug users. "In the past, sharing of needles was the main contributor to new HIV cases in Malaysia. However, with interventions such as clean needle distribution, targeted health education for drug users, and collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and health agencies, HIV infections through needle-sharing dropped significantly,' he said. While the approach was initially considered a "sensitive' matter, its success in reducing infection rates proved that realistic and non-punitive interventions are more effective in the context of prevention. Therefore, he said, similar methods should be considered in tackling sexual transmission of HIV among IPT students. His suggestions include the implementation of comprehensive, non-judgmental sexual education; providing access to condoms and counselling; and conducting voluntary, confidential HIV testing on campus. "Just as needle distribution helped reduce injection-related HIV infections, condom distribution and inclusive sex education have the potential to reduce infections caused by unsafe sex,' he said. These bold strategies, he stressed, should not be seen as promoting risky behaviour but rather as pragmatic, data-based steps grounded in real-world experience to save lives and build a culture of responsible sexual health among youth. He added that the success in reducing HIV transmission among injecting drug users should serve as a model for reforming HIV prevention strategies in universities. CHALLENGES Acknowledging that it is not easy for a young person to accept the reality of living with HIV for life, counsellor Dr Syed Mohamad Syed Abdullah said stigma and discrimination remain key barriers to implementing intervention programmes on campus. "As long as people lack accurate information and understanding about HIV and AIDS, stigma and discrimination will persist. On top of that, lack of funding and institutional and administrative support within higher learning institutions also contribute to the problem. "Cultural and religious sensitivities also limit open discussion around sex, condoms, HIV and AIDS. Very few people are willing to talk about these topics openly,' the senior lecturer in Guidance and Counselling at the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, told Bernama. He also observed that sexual education at universities is still inadequate as there is no dedicated subject on the topic in the higher education curriculum. "Most students are only exposed to sexual education through seminars, workshops, community activities or indirectly,' he said. As a counsellor, he believes that guidance and counselling approaches can help universities address the issue of HIV among students. Campus health clinics can also offer voluntary and confidential advice and counselling services on HIV, in collaboration with NGOs that play a role in HIV/AIDS prevention in Malaysia. "Emphasise confidentiality so more students will come forward for testing. From the data collected, we can develop action plans to control the spread of HIV among IPT students,' he added, noting that peer counselling programmes also have the potential to help address this concern. - BERNAMA
