Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
Dr. Peter Weller, clinical psychologist, Counselling Unit, University of the West Indies' Health Centre. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
MORE EFFORTS need to be made to reach out to men in order to effectively fight the spread of HIV, says Dr. Peter Weller, a lecturer and clinical psychologist attached to the counselling unit, Health Centre, University of the West Indies (UWI).
"It is very important that we make efforts to engage men in the discussion ... If they are not at the table for these discussions, the behaviour is not going to change and their activities will remain unhealthy," Dr. Weller said recently at the Gleaner Editors' Forum, held under the theme, 'Passive Women, Active Men: Sex Gender and HIV/AIDS'.
Dr. Weller said that under a research project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), researchers will now be looking at the attitudes of men and men's organisations to gender and gender equality, as they relate to subjects such as HIV and AIDS.
Gillian Bernard, sector and community response HIV prevention coordinator in the National HIV/AIDS/STI control and prevention programme agreed, stating that data showed that there is need to reach out to men.
"Men were found to be more likely to subscribe to myths (such as) virgin cures," she said.
CONDOM USE
She said data showed that some men and boys did not use a condom during their first sexual experience. Reasons varied but one young man revealed that he thought that using a condom would cause his sexual prowess to decrease.
Faith Webster, acting head of the Bureau of Women's Affairs, said there are now school-based programmes which speak to students about topics such as gender-based violence and self-esteem issues.
But "if we are going to attempt to change the culture at all, we will have to deal with some of the double standards that we have," she added.
"There is a lot of work to be done in terms of changing our mindset as to how a man or woman is defined in our society and what is accepted of them; this is going to take a little while. It can be changed but we have to recognise that it is a process that is going to take place over time," she said.
The forum was held in association with the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the Main Medical Lecture Theatre, University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Kingston.
