AIDS in the Caribbean

AIDS in the Caribbean

In today’s society there is at least one person dying from the AIDS virus or being infected with HIV. Many individuals know the existence of AIDS, but how many of these individuals really know what it is. HIV – Human Immunodefiency Virus causes AIDS. These four letters that have changed the world AIDS stand for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Six million people populate the Caribbean English speaking countries. Statistics have suggested that approximately half a million people are living with HIV/AIDS, which is now the major cause of death in the region. Individually, the Caribbean countries reflect the regions cultural and ethnic diversity, and this diversity is reflected in its HIV/AIDS statistics. The impacts HIV/AIDS will have on the region are negative. Some of the negative impact it will have on the region are population decreases, labor force deteriorates, financial difficulties, and the segregation among individuals. Firstly, HIV/AIDS will reduce the population drastically. According to Professor Nettle ford, “in the foreword, rightly raises the bar of alarm when he describes the epidemic as a

Survey data has shown that in some countries, approximately 25 percent of the adults reported being sexually active before the age of 14. "�As stated the HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached alarming proportion and all should be aware of its magnitude. A person with HIV/AIDS will carry the virus for the rest of their life seeing that no possible cure has been attained. The pitfalls of segregating people with HIV/AIDS are great and carry negative consequences. In Trinidad and Tobago, HIV rates are five times higher in girls in the 15 - 19 age group than in boys of the same age. Even though it is non-contagious, they are suddenly looked upon as the "�scum"tm of the land. It does not serve the interest of persons living with HIV/AIDS transmission and it will not reduce the rates of HIV/AIDS transmission. Fifty percent had started having sex before the age 16. If this trend continues the region"tms population will be significantly decreased. A potential disaster is looming over the people of the region, and unless there is a change in our efforts to confront HIV/AIDS, the scale of the disaster will be truly enormous. The prevalence of sexual activity between young women and older men also propels the epidemic in the Caribbean. In this there time of need they have no one to turn to for support or comfort. Any increase in the HIV/AIDS pandemic will reduce the size of the labor force and impact negatively on the level of employment in the economy. This will have a negative impact in various key sectors from agriculture, tourism, and mining to name a few.