NIKOLI EDWARDS
Vice Chairperson Policy,
Advocacy and Projects
Commonwealth Youth Council
In Trinidad and Tobago the issue of reducing HIV and AIDS has not been adequately met with the education, resources and support necessary. UNAIDS has estimated that at the end of 2015 there were between 10,000 to 11,000 persons living with HIV in Trinidad and Tobago.
It is further estimated that since the start of the epidemic in 1983 to present there have been fewer than 23,000 persons diagnosed with HIV.
Due to advances in technology and medicine individuals now have easier access to education and medicine, which can allow persons living with HIV/AIDS to enjoy a longer and more independent life.
However there still remains a fear that privacy is not fully respected in Trinidad and Tobago and that a visit to public testing sites can be met with an embarrassing encounter.
This is usually so because administrative staff, who are usually first to establish contact with clients and also secure private records, have not been adequately trained to deal with sensitive matters.
There are also space constraints that have led to open-air discussions with professionals or thin-walled rooms that may allow other clients to listen in on private conversations.
While rapid tests can detect HIV in a client, there is still the issue of lengthy delays in receiving laboratory tests for HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The period between testing and the returning of results
can be emotionally and mentally strenuous on individuals and this time should be reduced to reflect best practices. Persons have gone on record stating that they have had to wait on average two months for the return of their laboratory test results.
At the Queen's Park Counselling Centre and Clinic persons who wish to have an HIV Rapid Test must arrive before 7:00am Monday � Friday in order to be a part of the small number of persons being tested daily.
This can be a deterrent in many ways and many have abandoned the thought of testing all together based on similar experiences.
In order to significantly impact on the spread of HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago there must be at least:
�2 The erection of standalone, dedicated facilities that can test for all STDs and STIs on a 24/7 basis, as well as provide counseling services.
�2 Laboratories should be adequately stocked with the resources necessary, including equipment and manpower.
�2 All staff members must also undergo rigorous training to ensure they are capable of handling sensitive matters and records, which will create a comfortable environment for clients.
�2 Finally there needs to be educational programmes that address the issue of STDs and STIs from the primary school level onwards, as young persons are engaging in sexual behaviour at an earlier age.
As Trinidad and Tobago joins the rest of the globe in recognising World AIDS Day 2016, we must not simply rest on the strides we have made but rather look to the future we can have if our efforts were more inclusive, collective and strategic.