AS the world marked World Aids Day last Monday, all Guyanese should be concerned about the rising rate of HIV-infected people in this country. According to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, Guyana recorded 449 new cases last year, and there are 10,000 people infected nationally.
There can be no doubt that this is the result of persons engaging in unprotected sex. Clearly, we are not taking this virus seriously enough and are becoming lax in our sexual practices. Despite the ministry’s comprehensive messaging about the effects of the virus, how it is transmitted, and methods of protection, couples are continuing to have sexual relations without using condoms.
This may be a bold statement, but it is also a sad fact, which the World Health Organization (WHO) underlined in its statement that, “HIV is spread from the body fluids of an infected person, including blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal fluids.”
The virus attacks the body’s immune system by targeting the white blood cells, making it “easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers.” The WHO also tells us that treatment helps people live long, healthy lives and prevents HIV transmission. However, if HIV is left untreated, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Hence, the Minister of Health has urged people to visit clinics and get tested if they suspect they have contracted HIV. He, however, recognised that many are reluctant to go to these facilities because of the fear of being identified and stigmatised. As such, he suggested the use of home-testing kits.
His message was clear – more has to be done to prevent the spread of HIV, given the availability of drugs which suppress HIV and prevent it from developing into AIDS. An AI overview on Guyana stated that, “the predominant transmission route is unprotected heterosexual contact” and that, “adolescents and young people (15-24) account for a significant portion of new infections.”
It also stated that the government is “actively working on programmes to end the epidemic, including expanding pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services and working towards the UNAIDS 95–95-95 targets (95% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 95% of those on treatment, and 95% of those in treatment with suppressed viral load.”
Here again, Dr Anthony pointed to the availability of the viral suppressants, which cause the virus to remain virtually undetectable and prevent its transmission. The record for Guyana at the end of 2023 was ” 95% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 72% on treatment and 87% with suppressed viral load.”
These new statistics will definitely negatively impact our current record, and they also reveal that people are backsliding and once more falling into a too casual approach to sexual relations. The idea is to wear condoms and prevent the transmission of HIV, get tested either at a clinic or buy a home-testing kit if you feel you have contracted HIV and get immediate treatment if you have contracted the virus. But first and foremost, PRACTICE SAFE SEX.
In this age of growing physical and mental health concerns, prevention is definitely better than cure, because not only will the virus affect your physical health, but it will also present you with severe mental health challenges, not least of which is the stigma still surrounding sufferers.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.