Leonardo Blair, Enterprise reporterAn estimated 3,000 men and women in legal marriages or live-in relationships, infected with HIV or AIDS have been keeping the deadly secret from their spouses.
Dr. Yitades Gebre, executive director of the national HIV/STI/Control programme told The Sunday Gleaner that the estimate came from a sample survey he conducted in February. He pointed out that of the estimated 22,000 persons currently living with HIV and AIDS across the island, 20 per cent or 4,400 of them are either married or living in a common-law union. And, "only about 1/3 (or a little more than 1,400) of them have told their spouses," said Dr. Gebre.
The reluctance to tell, says Dr. Gebre, is largely anchored in fear of discrimination and the stigma associated with the HIV and AIDS. "Sometimes the partner may fear violence especially if that person is a woman," explains Dr. Gebre. According to the survey, some individuals are mum about their status because of economic reasons. "They think if the relationship should end, they won't have anyone to take care of them," points out Dr. Gebre. At times some persons just don't know what will happen and because they have not had proper counselling on how to break the news to their partners they remain quiet.
Dr. Gebre, however, urged that if persons should find themselves on the receiving end of the secret, they should first seek counselling, and exercise calm, as it is usually negative reaction to the disease which keeps people quiet about it. When asked if he did not think the act of keeping was quiet selfish, Dr. Gebre said, "I am not passing judgement."
Even with this information, Dr. Gebre said he would not encourage any premature disclosure of any person's HIV or AIDS status. "We have to reduce the stigma associated with HIV and we have to scale up the promotion of voluntary counsel and testing first," he explained.
In the meantime, Marge Blakewho has been living with HIV for the last 12 years and has had an intimate partner for the last three said the reaction of partners to disclosure, may not always be negative.
"There are some partners who may find out of your status and still make the decision to stay with you. There are people who are sensitive about the issue," said Marge. She, however, pointed out that even though she has told her partner, he appears to have shoved it aside, saying he 'does not believe it'. Her partner has, however, not been exposed to the virus as they practice safe sex.
The Ministry of Health has so far trained 1,000 counsellors islandwide to counsel individuals who have been taking HIV tests. They are also urging Jamaicans to get tested as 39 per cent of all AIDS related deaths are reported at the time of death. So many persons are walking around with the disease and they don't know. Only about 35 per cent of the estimated 22,000 persons living with HIV or AIDS are aware that they have the disease.
"It is our priority to increase HIV testing and we have made HIV rapid tests available at most of our regional health facilities here in Jamaica. People can know their status in less than an hour, in fact testing now takes just about 20 minutes," said Dr. Gebre.
But some persons just don't want to know because they are afraid, "and that is why people don't get tested," he said.
