Lebo Mashile has a suggestion for men reluctant to get vaccine

Poet and activist Lebogang Mashile has weighed in on what can be done to help get more men vaccinated, suggesting that using sex as a bargaining chip may work.

Lebo's thoughts were part of a bigger TL conversation that was sparked by the Gauteng government's call for men to get vaccinated. This after concerns emerged about the low turnout of men compared to women at vaccination sites.

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“We are concerned that men are not vaccinating as we would like them to. The provincial government will have an outreach programme that targets men,” said provincial government spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga.

Broadening the conversation on her Power 98.7 show, radio presenter Pabi Moloi asked men about their “general” reluctance to seek medical help.

Lebo responded to Pabi's question on Twitter and drew a correlation between men's health and the presence of women in their lives.

“For years HIV stats in SA for men have largely been based on women, especially pregnant women, testing. Men with women are healthier and live longer,” said Lebo.

She went on to say that to get the male population to take health seriously, women should restrict men's access to sex to get more men on board to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“For our own sake, women need to normalise making 'pum pum' access conditional on getting a vaccine and general Covid-19 regulation adherence,” said Lebo.

This led to discussion under the tweet, with Pabi even coining the hashtag #NoVaxNoSex.

The star went on to weigh in on the vaccine passport debate, saying that vaccine passports should be part of safe sex, just like contraception. She also believes that there is a subtext, that it is the responsibility of women to get men to take their health seriously. 

“Vaccine passports should be a part of everyday life. Take it with you when you go out and know that you’re open to hooking up with someone. The same way you make sure you have condoms,” she said.

“There is a subtext here about patriarchal men and self-care. Why don’t they want to take personal responsibility for their own health or anyone else’s. Does patriarchy mean that by default it’s the women/femme’s responsibility? That’s some BS.”