TWENTY-EIGHT years ago, the United Nations started marking December 1st as World AIDS Day: to unite people around the world in the fight against HIV; show support for people living with HIV; and to commemorate people who have died with HIV/AIDS. This year’s theme is “Hands up for HIV Prevention.”

When HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) became public knowledge in the early 1980s, it was surrounded by myths, which included how it is being contracted; how spread; its origin was ascribed to a race; vulnerability was based on sexual orientation and moral values; and its domain was confined to those of the lower socio-economic bracket.

These myths resulted in various behavioural attitudes. Ignorance made spread of the disease more likely, in that some felt immune to its contraction, given that they were not in the ‘category’ of its domain and thus had no need to engage in precautions. Those who contracted HIV were invariably ashamed to seek help, kept silent, or continued to spread the disease based on the stereotype attached to the use of condoms. There were those who, based on lifestyle choices, exposed their partners to contracting the disease, but for fear of their lifestyles being exposed, continued to engage in unsafe practices with their mates. And persons who contracted HIV, fearing ostracism from loved ones and society, opted to keep their status private. The above stated situations have been prevalent in our society.

Though within the last 28 years much work has been done to clear up misunderstandings regarding this disease, the myths and stigmatization persist, and persons are consequently still at risk of contracting this disease and being deprived of the care needed.

As the world community works to combat the virus, which includes the race for a medical cure, prevention is, at this stage, still the best option. Prevention not only requires education — different applications, mediums and tools — but also helps to shatter myths and stigmatisation that still cause some persons to live with this disease in silence, spreading it and not getting the care they need. Where it is recognised that there is statistical extrapolation of the infected population based on reported cases, we cannot lose sight of the unreported.

Culturally, Guyana is somewhat a reclusive society. Issues such as sex and its practices, including choices, are not spoken about openly; stigma is attached to some practices, and criminality is attached to others. The influence this cultural phenomenon has on the facility with which conversations about sexually transmitted diseases — in this instance HIV — should be discussed can therefore not be ignored. Societies that are more open about sexual interactions, including accepting and legitimizing lifestyle choices, have a greater advantage in addressing complexities surrounding HIV prevention. Moreover, some famous personalities in those societies have put a face to the disease by sharing their stories and leading the fight against it through various supportive measures.

The work done by the Ministry of Health/Public Health and other civil society institutions should however be noted, especially the work done by Artistes in Direct Support (AIDS), which has had a significant impact in the fight against this disease. As a nation, we must continue to push the limits not only to ensure that every person is aware of the dangers attached to contracting this disease, but to ensure that everyone is taking measures to prevent contracting it, seeking the care needed should they contract the virus, and ending discrimination against those who have contracted it.

Even though HIV remains a challenge, significant strides have been made in combating it. The healthcare industry has moved from not knowing what to do to developing medicines found to be effective in managing the virus. Persons living with HIV are today experiencing quality holistic lives once they adhere to the medication regimen and appropriate health and wellness choices; and medicine has advanced to the level where, if persons suspect they have been exposed to the virus, should they seek help within 72 hours of exposure, they can benefit from post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) drugs — antiretroviral medicines (ART) which can prevent them from becoming infected. There is also the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for persons who don’t have HIV but are at very high risk of getting it; to prevent being infected, simply take a pill daily. These drugs are, however, not for everyone, and they should not be prescribed on a willy-nilly basis; candidates for administration of the drug have to meet specific guidelines.

HIV prevention still largely remains reliant on education and safe sex. This includes having access to accurate information and having a mature outlook on sexual relations, as in having monogamous relations and using a condom, which remains the most important tool in preventing contraction and spread of the virus.