Sunday, August 26 2007

It appears that the public campaign to reduce stigmatisation against people with HIV-AIDS has borne fruit. At least, we hope so, although the survey cited in the Social Sector Investment Programme does not appear too reliable.

According to the figures in the SSCP, 80 percent of persons surveyed would not mind having an HIV-positive neighbour, and 79 percent agreed with the suggestion that a female teacher with HIV should continue teaching. By contrast, however, 64 percent of persons would not buy food from an HIV-infected person. This last response reflects a total misunderstanding of how the virus is transmitted, so clearly there is still work to be done.

It also seems that the sample used in the survey was not truly representative of the populace. The SSIP claimed, for example, that a whopping 78 percent of the respondents had had two sexual partners over the past 12 months. This could be so only if these respondents were overwhelming male, young, and single — a cohort that makes up a mere 15 percent of the population. It is true that our people have a reputation for promiscuity but, even so, these figures are over the top and should have raised a red flag to the persons interpreting the numbers. Instead, we now have official statistics which imply either that nearly everyone in TT is having an affair with nearly everyone else, or that prostitution is a more major industry here than we knew.

There also appears to be some contradiction between the statement made by Prime Minister Patrick Manning in his Budget speech that the number of AIDS cases reported had declined by 69 percent. The Health Ministry, in its projections for 2008, expects to have 12,000 AIDS patients, and this is nearly three times more than the present number. Clearly, these contradictions need to be resolved, for a government cannot run a country properly if it does not have proper statistics.

Indeed, we made this point only two weeks ago, referring to a claim from the Education Ministry that violence in schools had been reduced — a claim contradicted by the Ministry’s own statistics. The Ministry has since then offered neither rebuttal, explanation, nor apology. But political spin is one thing; statistical incompetence is another — and it is the latter which seems to underlie the problematic figures cited above.

Even so, we would like to believe that a majority of the population is indeed unprejudiced against persons with HIV. In fact, even if the sample was skewed, it was skewed toward a cohort more, rather than less likely to be biased against people with AIDS. Thus, if that group could express tolerance, then it is more likely that the general populace would be even more so. And tolerance is really the best feature of our society. Despite the loudness of various fanatic minorities, most Trinbagonians have no problem interacting with persons of a different religion, ethnicity, race, or even sexual orientation. So it is not too great a leap to see this fundamental attitude extending to persons living with HIV.

Such tolerance is important, not only in itself, but for a very practical reason: the less stigma there is attached to HIV-positive persons, the more likely it is that people will go and get tested for the virus.

That, of itself, reduces the risky behaviour that is the major cause of the spread of the virus, for most people who test positive will change their lifestyle, while many who test negative will be so relieved that they, too, will often adopt safe sex practices. For this reason alone, the campaign to promote understanding and tolerance of HIV-positive persons should continue.