Most HIV/AIDS carriers don't know they are infected

APPROXIMATELY 18,000 or two-thirds of the estimated 27,000 Jamaicans living with HIV/AIDS are unaware that they are infected with the deadly sexually-transmitted disease, Ministry of Health (MOH) data says.


A male volunteer receiving an oral test at last Friday's HIV Regional Testing Day at the King Street branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia hosted by the bank in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

"Based on the statistics of people who have been confirmed (with HIV) and the number of sex partners they have, we arrived at the figure," MOH Behaviour Change Officer Rushane Ried told the Observer Tuesday.
The staggering number of unsuspecting HIV carriers have spurred the health ministry to emphasise voluntary tests for the virus.

Last Friday, more than 1,664 people turned up across the island for voluntary HIV testing during a Scotiabank/MOH collaboration, with more than 60 per cent being females.

According to Reid, MOH findings suggest that females are more willing than males to do HIV tests.
For instance, at three of last week's nine testing locations, Port Antonio saw 70 females to 36 males, Liguanea had 112 females and 72 males, while at Browns Town in St Ann, 38 females and 27 males were tested.
"Males are always less," Reid said.

Scotiabank hosted the tests at its branches in Montego Bay, Spanish Town, Port Antonio, Port Maria, Savanna-la-Mar, Brown's Town, Falmouth and Kingston branches Liguanea and King Street.

Public Relations Officer Simone Hull said that volunteers were able to receive their results in less than 30 minutes as the MOH used the quick oral tests and finger pricking methods to assess samples collected.

"There were occasions where people came out positive," Hull disclosed, adding that counselors present at the locations instructed the volunteers on how to access treatment and continue to live healthy and normal lives.

Figures of the number of positive tests and the locations were not revealed by the health ministry.
Reid however explained that persons who tested positive would be requested to do a confirmatory test at any health centre island wide.

"If they are positive after that, then they are put on to a contact investigator who would try to identify partners and encourage them to also do tests," she said.

"The infected person would also be counselled in dealing with the reality of being HIV positive," Reid added.

The Scotiabank/MOH collaboration was done in recognition of Regional Testing Day, an initiative by the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership (CBMP) and the Pan Caribbean Partnership (PANCAP) on HIV/AIDS.
This is the second year of the programme and last year approximately 450 people turned out locally for testing at the three locations set up by the bank.

"We are very pleased that so many Jamaicans turned out for testing (this year) as this is a really positive indicator that we are making headway in decreasing fear and stigma," Hull said. "People were not afraid to find out their status," she added.