Hi everyone

As many of you will already know I study Sexual health at UCLan Preston and we have the opportunity to go to Zambia for two weeks.

I would like to go to Zambia to be part of the team that helps change people’s lives and how they view their health. The experience gained in Zambia will help further develop the skills I have learnt within lectures in university and assignment work. I understand that HIV is a big problem in Africa that needs tackling and one way to do this is by educating people.

This opportunity will help further expand my knowledge on HIV and show the importance of good SRE in order to have an effective impact on a person’s life and how it can impact their families. It will also help further develop my confidence, communication and team working skills which in turn will further help my studies and career in the healthcare profession.

It is always good to be able to put what has been learnt in university into practice in the real world. This will help gain hands on experience which will emphasise what has been learnt and any areas which need further knowledge.

In 2015, around 55,000 adults and 5,000 children became newly infected with HIV in Zambia. New infections are decreasing, especially in children - in 2010, 60,000 adults and 13,000 children acquired HIV. HIV prevalence in Zambia has declined, falling by 19% between 2003 and 2015. Around 1.2 million people in Zambia are living with HIV. In 2015, life expectancy for men was 59 and for women 65. This is a considerable increase from 49 in 2012, partly thanks to improved access to antiretroviral treatment. Unprotected heterosexual sex drives the Zambian HIV epidemic, with 90% of new infections recorded as a result of not using a condom. Zambia's national HIV response is keen to address this in their future plans.

Going to Zambia is said to be a life changing experience that you only get once and I would love to be part of it.

Thanks for all your support
Siobhan :) xxx