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Shane Superville
As TT prepares to join the rest of the world in marking International Women’s Day on Monday, Social Development and Family Services Minister Donna Cox is encouraging the public to know her status and get tested for HIV and AIDS, while women and girls have been seen. also vulnerable to infection.
Cox explained the disparity in the numbers between HIV infection in men and women across cultural and economic gaps when she spoke at the launch of a brochure on disclosing one’s HIV status, at the HIV / AIDS Coordination Unit, CL Financial Building, Port of Spain, Friday. .
“Research has shown that women represent more than half of the number of people living with HIV worldwide.
“Young women aged 10 to 24 are twice as likely to contract HIV as their male counterparts.
“HIV disproportionately affects women and adolescent girls due to the vulnerabilities created by unequal cultural, social and economic status.”
She also noted that the introduction of the brochure coincided with the recent Zero Discrimination Day which was commemorated on March 1 with the theme – Zero discrimination against women and girls.
Technical director Michael Reid said the ministry is committed to raising awareness and promoting treatment for people from all walks of life infected with the disease.
He said the prevalence of infections among women and girls is something that has raised concern among international bodies.
“Although the global response to HIV has been dramatically transformed since the first case, too many women and adolescent girls remain vulnerable due to their unequal social status.
“In fact, the UN has expressed particular concern about the vulnerability of women to infections from partners who do not know or refuse to disclose their status.”
Reid said the ministry’s approach to tackling the disease was guided by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and that it would partner with all stakeholders to achieve those goals.
Cox said that despite progress over the years in including people with HIV in society, disclosing their status remains a challenge as the government seeks to empower those living with the disease.
She said that while people living with the disease feared victimization or discrimination the most, this was the first step towards the legal protection and psychosocial support available through the ministry.
“Disclosure, whether authorized or not, is usually rooted in the fear of being vulnerable to stigma and discrimination, which often leads to poor medication adherence and psychosocial issues such as isolation, anxiety and depression.
“The issue of disclosure remains paramount in the HIV landscape. Some of the benefits of disclosing HIV include improved medication adherence and better access to care and support.
“Disclosure empowers people with HIV to take ownership of their status, providing legal protection against discrimination while facilitating empowerment and creating opportunities to address psychosocial issues.
Cox said the brochure included information and advice on how people should disclose their status to those around them.
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