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About five children and young people arrive at the Departmental Health Service (Headquarters) to request information on the rapid test to find out if they have HIV / AIDS.
HIV / AIDS Program Seeking Counsel
It is common to hear: "Hello, they have told me that they are doing the quick test here, I want it to be safe. they guide me, I want to take a test, "says a 17-year-old. According to the latest data presented by headquarters, in the first half of 2018, 295 cases of HIV / AIDS were recorded in the department. Of the total number of patients, 48% are young people between 15 and 25 years old.
According to the health facility, in 2017, 590 new cases were registered. Of these, 254 or 43% are young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
"In the past 10 years, the cases among youth and adolescents have increased," says the head of the program Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV. -Side of the headquarters, Christian Gómez
In this regard, the president of the National Network of people living with HIV, Violeta Ross, pointed out that this increase of carriers of the virus is mainly due to the lack of information and because they are exposed to "For example, children under the age of 12 who are on the street sometimes engage in sexual intercourse and thus acquire the HIV virus," he says.
Misinformation and lack of knowledge about the use of contraceptive methods, reluctance and neglect of the family and the educational environment are also factors that affect this reality.
"For young people, it's They know that they can get pregnant, but they have misinformation about HIV," said Ross.
Facilitator of the Institute of Human Development (HDI), William Montaño, points out the early consumption of alcohol beverages among youth as the cause of the alarming increase in cases.
"We must work on the information so that it reaches more precisely the different places, especially because the cases occur in the municipalities of rural areas ", proposed the activist.
Montaño explained that more work should be done to guarantee Coverage of the rapid test and the condom To do this, we must work on "prevention before sexual intercourse."
Law and Prevention
Standards that Protect People against the virus are the law 3729 of 8 August "
Chapter IV (Prevention and Education), Article 14, provides that the Ministry of Health and Sports, in coordination with the National Council of Fight against HIV / AIDS, promote and promote programs of life. information, prevention, protection, epidemiological surveillance, training, counseling.
Article 15 states that HIV through the integration of sexuality education , including in primary, secondary, higher and alternative education programs
SEPA MÁS
To avoid a situation of risk
Authorities have called for a rapid test For the prevention of perinatal transmission – from mother to child – antiretroviral treatment is granted
Clandestine Sex Work
The head office reported that a number of cases were detected in persons engaged in the clandestine sex trade
.
Access to the rapid test
is available only in 35% of centers, it is still not available.
DECLARATIONS
"I want to do the quick test, in fact my girlfriend asked me to do the test to be able to make love, we will both do the test, for safety, I do not have "
Adolescent
"HIV is not just a health problem, it is a matter of social justice, gender equity, education, of that." is not popular despite its low cost. "
Violeta Ross
National Representative of People Living with HIV / AIDS
]
" Coverage of rapid tests and condoms should be achievable in all municipalities and health centers so that young people can access them with confidence. "
William Montaño
Facilitator of the Institute of Human Development
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