Stigma pushes more men on PrEP programme
Published:Wednesday | June 9, 2021 | 12:05 AM
More Jamaican men said to be at high risk of contracting HIV are on the magic PrEP pill as stigma and discrimination continue to worry advocates.
PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is the use of antiretroviral medication to prevent the acquisition of HIV infection by uninfected persons.
Currently, the drug is not widely available in Jamaica and can be very expensive.
But last year, 41 men were enrolled in a pilot through a partnership between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL).
The full programme now has 77 persons, representative Xavier Biggs from the JASL disclosed during a recent forum.
An estimated 32,617 Jamaicans (1.5 per cent of the general adult population) are living with HIV, according to the latest report produced by the Jamaica Partnership to Eliminate HIV-Related Stigma and Discrimination.
Eighty-four per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 49 per cent are on treatment, and 66 per cent of them are virally suppressed.
In 2020, there were 79 reports of HIV-related discrimination, Jumoke Patrick, executive director for the Jamaica Network of Seropositives, disclosed.
“Majority of those are centred or anchored in communities, whether it is the inner-city communities, rural communities, urban, etc. We recognised that it is within these particular communities persons living with HIV feel stigmatised the most and not necessarily when they access healthcare or on their jobs,” Patrick said in response to queries from The Gleaner.
The most common forms of stigma and discrimination experienced were verbal harassment, gossip, and discriminatory remarks.
Recently, dancehall artiste Shenseea found herself in hot water as fans criticised her for what they believed was a swipe at people living with HIV in the introduction of a song the artiste had released.
Ricky Pascoe, president of the Jamaican Network of Seropositives, said that the shaming of persons living with the virus was working against the campaign to raise awareness.
“Because of such conversations and such talk from persons like Shenseea, people living with HIV still feel discriminated [against], and it gives power to persons to still say things against persons living with HIV,” s stated.