DESCRIBED by its distinguished reviewers as timely and relevant, ‘HIV & AIDS: Knowledge and Stigma in Guyana’, authored by University of Guyana Pro-Chancellor Dr. Prem Misir, was launched last Thursday at the New Building Society Limited (NBS) at Avenue of the Republic and North Road, Georgetown.
Misir is the author of eight books and numerous journal articles. He said this book was grounded in the behavioural sciences.
A description of the work says the cross sectional study used a purposive sample of 179 high school students from 15 urban and rural high schools in Guyana, and assessed their HIV and AIDS knowledge and stigma-related attitudes and the relationship among gender, age, religion and race ethnicity and HIV and AIDS knowledge.
Dr Misir noted that his book was centred on adolescents for multiple reasons, including that many STIs are contracted in this age group, and that their attitudes are still being shaped, so interventions have a higher success rate.
Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran said HIV/AIDS is more than a health issue, it’s a developmental issue. “HIV threatens the able-bodied work force. It hits at our future. Any tool that helps us to analyse the impact on our development is welcome”.
He remarked that the nature of HIV has changed, and the disease is now a ‘chronic disease’. He said the book comes at a time when the disease is a burden on our economy, and we need any resource that can help.
Reiterating this point, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds called the book timely. He warned that we have to guard against falling into complacency against HIV/AIDS.
“HIV/AIDS is no respecter of persons, and is something we should address as a common challenge”, he said.
University of Guyana Librarian Ms Gweneth George said HIV/AIDS has a human face, and thus comes with stigma. She noted that many of us have been afraid to say that “we have been touched by the disease, or have it”. She encouraged persons to purchase the work, or access it through the library.
Most of the high school students in the study displayed an overall moderate knowledge level of HIV and AIDS. The students understood the modes of HIV transmission, they recognized the symptoms of HIV and AIDS, nearly half of them believed that a blood donor was at risk of contracting HIV, and about one-fifth of them embraced myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS.
There was no significant difference in the scores between male and female students, but knowledge scores differed between the 13-15 and 16-18 age groups, and among the religious and ethnic groups. Stigma-related scores did not differ much for gender or age, but differed significantly for religion and ethnicity among students. The studies showed fissures in HIV and AIDS, and substantial stigma-related attitudes. Limited understanding of the myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS demands a new focus on how HIV is not transmitted through moving beyond conventional strategies towards a social constructivist approach.
The book is essential reading for medical professionals, educators and policymakers throughout the Caribbean region.
Dr Prem Misir is Pro Chancellor of the University of Guyana. His many publications include ‘Cultural Identity and Creolization in National Unity’, ‘The Multi-ethnic Caribbean and Leader Behaviour’, and the ‘Compliance Structure in Education: A Sociological Study of Ideology and Social Change in Guyana’.

(By Michelle Gonsalves)