WHILE historic Fort Island is a crime-free and easy-going place, health officials are worried about the risky sexual behaviour of youths there.
A reliable health official who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Guyana Chronicle that, “From my interaction with them, the symptoms they experience as they relate it to me is troubling. It seems to be symptoms of the virus, but no checking is done here, since we do not have the HIV kits to do the testing here,” the health official said.
This publication was told that HIV awareness is non-existent or very weak on the island and the majority of young men aside from fishing, do not have any recreational facility there to keep them meaningfully occupied.
And when the girls from Parika come on the stelling in the evening, it is naughty entertainment that puts their health at severe risk.
“The stories I hear from them is bewildering. One of the young men explain to me that he is Muslim and Muslims do things naturally. Even if this is so, I doubt this kind of behaviour is acceptable by that religion. I tried my best talking to them, but at the end of the day, boys seem to be boys,” the health official said.
According to the official, the situation is very serious and the Ministry of Public Health and the Region Three administration need to urgently carry out a robust HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, targeting particularly youths on the island.
Aside from this bother, and apart from a few cases of diabetes and hypertension, no other known illness takes a toll on Fort Island residents.
The health worker there told this publication that the health centre does not suffer from drugs shortage, since she has a fair idea of the health condition of residents and would order sufficient drugs to treat them year-round.