THE Adolescent Health Unit of the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) hosted its ‘Test of Love’ activity on Saturday at the Giftland Mall, seeking to raise awareness, foster sexual education and promote HIV testing.

“February is the month of love and it is always necessary to continue awareness activities on sexual education,” said peer educator of the Ministry’s Adolescent Health Unit, Sheba Thomas.

The activity, called ‘Test of Love’, featured couples Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing along with an awareness session from 10:00 hrs to 20:00 hrs at the mall.

The team of educators sought to inform patrons of the ill-effects of unprotected sex, including susceptibility to HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), along with birth control options. According to Thomas, this was done recognising that many persons are not au fait with the measures of control and protection.

“The ministry, and more so the Adolescent Health Unit, sees it beneficial to conduct such sessions,” she said.

HIV testing was also encouraged as a principle of sex education. The World Health Organization details that HIV targets one’s immune system and weakens the body’s defence system against infections and some types of cancer. The virus destroys and impairs the function of immune cells, causing infected individuals to gradually become ‘immunodeficient’. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

In the Caribbean, there were 310,000 People Living With HIV in 2016, 18, 000 of whom were infected that same year. Also in 2016, a total of 9,400 people were reported to have died of AIDS-related illnesses in the Caribbean.

Seeking to continue educating the public on health matters, the Ministry will be hosting outreach sessions next month on drug and alcohol abuse.

Thomas related that the ministry welcomes volunteers to come o nboard as peer educators.