Migration does affect AIDS in Belize

Some people would like to believe that HIV/AIDS would not be a problem in Belize if not for the high level of immigration from neighbouring countries such as Honduras and Guatemala. While Belizeans may be slow to admit that the problem starts at home, there is some impact felt from the migration of people in this region. At least According to Dr. Roy Young, U.B.’s research director, who worked on a survey on Migration and Aids in Central America.

Dr. Roy Young, Research Director, University of Belize

“The mobile migrant populations who work as commercial sex workers…their interaction with our locals definitely makes our locals vulnerable. Also, those who come to work and because of their being isolated, poor, etc., they are subjected to various force sex and so on. So that again makes our population vulnerable.”

Ann-Marie Williams

“Some of the findings are startling to me to say the least, one of which is the commercial sex workers portion of the studying saying that some of these people don’t use condoms if it’s a client they like or somebody that comes to them on a regular basis. What’s your take on that?”

Dr. Roy Young

“It’s our human nature that after we get accustomed to somebody, to dispense of the probability of the them being affected by STD or specifically HIV/AIDS. There is one of the establishments that the commercial sex workers work that provide services for them in the form of regular doctor visits and opportunities for them to be tested. So that is the kind of thing that we would like to see promoted and transferred to other places as much as possible. Because we do know that they will exist, so if the act if going to be done, then we should try to make it a safer activity.”

The data collected came from interviews, two population surveys and two ethnographic studies. The study, which was released by the Pan American Health Organisation, was done in Belize City and Benque Viejo del Carmen.