The Story of HIV is out of the closet in San Pedro
HIV/AIDS infections in the country have been increasing at an alarming rate over recent years. But over the past six months, the nation’s top tourist destination, San Pedro, with a population of about twelve thousand, has been seeing a steady rise in new cases. That’s according to Medical Coordinator at the island’s Polyclinic, Doctor Javier Zuniga. While he couldn’t offer specific numbers, Zuniga says the data shows that there is a particular group that is now being most affected.
Dr. Javier Zuniga, Medical Coordinator, San Pedro Polyclinic
dr. javier zuniga
“Lately we have seen some positive cases and it is alarming because we have had cases where – well before we even do a test we do counseling – and after we do the test we also do counseling, and we’ve noticed that some of these patients, they look normal to you, right, and after we try to find out more information, after we detect that they are positive, we find out that they are sleeping with more than one persons so they have multiple partners. It is becoming a problem. We detect one person, but who knows how many others are out there that do have HIV.”
Marion Ali
“Is there a particular group or category that you see is being infected more with the virus?”
Dr. Javier Zuniga
“Actually, when we started off detecting the first few cases we were seeing that it was more with the homosexual community and [uhm].”
Marion Ali
“Men and women, or…”
Dr. Javier Zuniga
“Men primarily and it is a problem because a lot of them are saying that they have multiple partners and it’s not looking good and we try to get them to come to do voluntary testing. It has been very difficult and we also have had heterosexual cases but we’re trying to get everyone or anyone to come in and do the test.”
Marion Ali
“When you say the situation is alarming is there a ballpark figure that you’re talking about?”
Dr. Javier Zuniga
“I couldn’t give you a figure, more or less, but it is alarming. Why? Because we have people that are out there who have the virus. They don’t know they have the virus, and I’m sure that there’s a lot of people, not only in San Pedro, probably in Belize City, San Ignacio, in Orange Walk, all bout, but we need to get that done because we live in a touristic area and it won’t be good for tourism.”
Statistically, over the years, Belize as a country ranks among the top countries in Central America with the highest HIV/AIDS cases per capita.
Dr Zuniga:’ we’ve noticed that some of these patients, they look normal to you’. I am surprised at these words.
Please people gone are the days when we saw the poster boy/girl for HIV who is an emaciated:
Homosexual male
Drug addict
Prostitute
Sure these people are in high risk groups; however the fastest growing rates have also been seen in the heterosexual (transmission men to women and vice versa). Yes, having unprotected sex with multiple partners is the greatest risk and so the focus should be on changing this risk taking behaviour in both sexes.
What I think the population need to be told is that you treat everyone as potentially a carrier of the virus until they have both attended a clinic for voluntarily testing of all sexually transmitted viruses. Since evidence suggest that having one virus such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia enhances the possibility of acquiring HIV. People please limit your partners to one person and get tested at the start of every new relationship, please wear a condom every time unless you are in a monogamous relationship and you have both been tested and shown to be negative. I have had the experience of working for a short period in paediatric HIV. Knowing that just by changing behaviour we can see a dramatic decline in HIV transmission I hope the government act early and quickly.
May be the good doctor and the media house should have highlighted in this article exactly where the people could go to be tested, where people can go to get free condoms (if available) and also discuss the treat options for those tested positive.
People please remember being gay or straight doesn’t cause HIV it is the behaviour that may subsequently lead you to acquiring the virus. There is no room for prejudices as HIV doesn’t discriminate against class, races, professions, or young and old.
My final point, is more of a question is there a law against someone knowingly infecting someone? Since it’s been shown that in rare cases a person wilfully infect another person.
Hmmm I thought there was a lot of information being put out there abt this disease. Y r people still having unprotected sex with multiple partners. Y r they still afraid to get tested. It should b mandatory for at least pregnant people I hope. Get tested people!
no surprise.
Poor belizeans,they dont have jobs,which means they cant have money to buy condoms,and i bet the condoms packs cost more than what they make in one day.how sad.by the way belizeans-who are your leaders?what kind of leaders you have?
Oh come on… JR. You can’t blame THIS on leaders. There have been agressive safe-sex and anti-AIDS messages for years now. First of all, condoms are quite affordable and widely available. This comes down to personal responsibility. If you cannot be safe and sensible then don’t have sex!
jr………….. lots of places around Belize offer FREE COND0OMS……….FYI.
It’s not so much the point of a person not being able to afford a pack of condom or not it’s just that these individuals don’t care. I work for the Ministry of Health so I know all our health facilities provide FREE condoms along with FREE testing. Some people are just not taking these risk seriously and there’s some of them who has the virus and just wants to spread it around.
For 2009 we had a total of 9,236 people who got tested for HIV and out of that amount 342 of them are NEW HIV cases with:
Belize District at 245
CZL 15
O/W 11
CY 45
S/C 42
TOL 6
UKN 1
Females = 186
Males = 177
Indeterminate = 1
Those were some of the stats for last year report. The age group that’s being infected the most ranges from ages 15 through 59 which was a total of 342 cases for last year.
Instead of trying to point the finger about who’s wrong and who’s right we need to come together and try to fix the problem. I honestly feel at this point HIV testing should be mandatory, because that’s one of the biggest problem at this point. I say that because we have men and women sleeping around with many partners unprotected and some of them know they might have the virus but because they don’t have the proof they keep doing what they’re doing and keep spreading the virus. So by we doing these test we’ll know exactly who’s infected so if that person still goes out and have unprotected sex and give the virus to someone else then that person should be held accountable for his or her actions and be charged with a crime of attempted murder, because the AIDS virus is a disease that will kill you so therefor the person that gave you the virus should be punish.
They’re also some relationships whereby the husband or boyfriend is an abusive person, so the wives or girlfriends is afraid to ask them to use a condom because they know it will cause a fight so instead they stay quiet and have unprotected sex and in many cases HIV is passed to females, because the man has contracted HIV from outside the relationship.
Most men are afraid to get tested, because of their sexual behavior, but guys we need to start looking out for ourselves and our love ones, because if we don’t then who will. At the rate of how this virus is spreading do you imagine the kind of future our children will have to live in. Tighten up guys and get tested every 6 months at least. Because not because your 1st test came back negative means that you’re negative so within that time you still need to practice safe and sticking to one partner.
The Belizean Gov should be be stoning people with free condoms and birth control pills. Let our young people live and get educated so they can reclaim Belize.
Maybe we should give the Tourist that goes to San Pedro a HIV test,
the doctor said ” because we live in a touristic area and it won’t be good for tourism.” sometimes we put money before anything else…. San Pedro is known as a little Las Vegas, anything goes watch them same tourist, sex + drugs = San Pedro
People get tested HIV is not a death treat its a chronic disease once u get tested there is medication that can keep your Viral load low, You can live a normal life but when left untreated its too late. There are more people dying right now from breast cancer, diabetis just to name a few.
People get tested HIV is not a death treat its a chronic disease once u get tested there is medication that can keep your Viral load low, You can live a normal life but when left untreated its too late. There are more people dying right now from breast cancer, diabetis just to name a few.
Scar4life: you said a very important thing about the women in abusive relationships may not be able to negotiate the use of condoms and dynamics of the relationship in terms of her economic status means she stay in very unhealthy relationships. It is difficult but this why its essential in targeting the men in any program as I think we would be on the right road to tackling the problem.
To those who blame the government I am not surprise but I think under both administration I have noted with great interest the work that was being done. I therefore think it’s not a fair comment. However I know we Belizeans have to have a scapegoat for everything as it’s never our fault.
SPO is a Sin City, which is infested with …………… with multiple partners.
i was once married and did not know that my husband was messing around. thank god when i became pregnant i took a test and it came out negative. my husband and i have since separated and i thank god daily that i am one of the lucky ones. there are many females like myself who are married and trust their husbands…. unknowingly to them their husbands have other partners. i am praying that we reach a state where husbands are honest. if you don’t want your wife leave her but don’t treat her like trash by being dishonest. respect her and let her know that you dont want a monogamous relationship and then let her chose if she will put herself at rist or walk away but don’t let the wives think they are the only ones and then you are out there living a lie and sleeping around. what if you get the hiv virus.. you will give your wife who innocently loves you above all else… and what about your kids… who will take care of them when both of you are gone.. and whose fault was it.. . the one who chose to put himself or herself at risk …. some of us are innocent and believe in monogamy… but we cannot choose for our spouse and we cannot mind them 24 hours of the day… so men.. be men… choose to have one partner and if it is your wife then let it be her and if you don’t want her any more…. tell her and leave instead of fooling around and putting your family at risk… as i said. i was lucky… my husband is now living his life and i choose to be single and he chooses to sleep around… i do hope his luck does not run out.
The HIV virus passes right through the condom the virus is smaller than the pores.
this is an idividual thing, each person must make sure they protect themselves when haveing sex even with your partner cause you are not sure what is taking place behind our back.
Imagine and old man and a young 15 years oldwoman , she then go to her young boyfreind, her young boyfeind have sex with she and others and sometimes with men too, the the old man wife go with a young man, the other men who have sex with men have their wives at home and this continue on and on and on, these people have to start protecting themselves NO MATTA WAT!! you can’t trust your wife or husband these days, and a lot of young girls like old men, cause old men open the wallet faster and let go og the blue boys easier than young men, some like man and woman,IMAGINE!!
this is not a government or health official things, this is our resposibilty to take care of our selves.
PLEASE PEOPLE NO TELL ME YOU DI WAIT FI DEAN BARROW TO TAKE A YOUR …… AND ……, COMMON MEIN, YOU TAKE CARE OF IT YOURSELF!!!
This is a serious situation, men and women need to know their status because it can save their lives and the lives of others. There is still a problem though, there’s no confidentiality in Belize about these things and thats why people are afraid to get tested. Afraid to be looked at and treated different and humiliated. No one wants to be infected but they take chances out there, especially when under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Just be safe everytime you have sex, there’s nothing wrong with a woman carrying condoms in her purse. If you decide to have unprotected sex go with your partner and get tested together, know your status!
Jessica, I’m glad someone else knows that the tourists are not showing up in San Pedro looking for a church but common sense should tell folks to protect themselves, assume the worse. Tourists are transient, many are just looking for a good time & do not care what’s left in their wake.
Dr. Zuniga, check the 60 Minutes Archives, they did a documentary on Patient Zero, a Canadian flight attendant named Gaetan, to whom they traced the spread of AIDS.