HIV/AIDS figure could be more than double, officials say

Health educator Angela Desabaye at a press conference on Tuesday

Health officials here estimate that the number of Dominicans who are HIV/AIDS positive could be more than double the official figure of 376 recorded between 1987 and 2011.

Health Educator Angela Desabaye says with each of the 376 having at least one partner, the real number of HIV/AIDS positive people is likely to be much higher that the generally accepted figure.

She has also indicated that of more than 6,000 HIV/AIDS tests done in 2011, only 15 – that’s 9 males and 6 females – tested positive.

Desabaye disclosed that there were also 14 more results still to be confirmed.

The health official made the disclosure as the Dominica Planned Parenthood Association (DPPA) launched a new brand of condom – Cool – as part of continuing efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

According to Desabaye of the National HIV/AIDS Response Unit,  to date 120 people have died here from HIV/AIDS.

She also revealed that “at the moment at the end of 2011 we had 70 clients living with HIV in care at the Infectious Disease Clinic”.

The health educator indicated that some Dominicans living with the disease were overseas receiving treatment, while others had migrated for various reasons.

She also cited a 2010 survey of people between the ages of 15 to 49 which showed that 16.5 per cent of those polled had more than one partner in the past 12 months.

According to the survey 63.6 per cent of people having more than one sexual partner (age group 15-49) had used a condom.

The health official said too that the survey revealed 15.4 per cent of young men and women between the ages of  15-24 had admitted to having had sex before they were 15.

“Are they being protected,  do they bother to use condoms, do they have the power to negotiate the use of condoms,” she queried.

Health Educator Desabaye said there was some concern that these people could contract sexual  diseases including HIV/AIDS.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

35 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    June 20, 2012

    Why do we keep blaming the health personnel and every body else . We have to learn to take our responsibilities seriously and stop defending every bad behaviour. The parents at home have to be the role model for their children

  2. Justice and Truth
    June 19, 2012

    The godless UN and whatever else organizations are the ones who introduced Planned Parenthood to Dominica, a small island as the other islands. Was Dominica ever over populated? Does Dominica really need this type of organization? Are you aware that Planned Parenthood and distributing condoms are not Christian/religious acts?
    Dominica is a Christian country. Those who operate Planned Parenthood are no doubt church-going Christians who give condoms to those who ask for it to prevent babies from being born. It is like committing abortion and placing a curse on those who approve it, distribute it and use it. Think of it, have you considered what will Jesus say about that and about you, Christians who encourage this and get paid for it? This is mortal and spiritual food for thought.
    HIV/AIDS. A promiscuous lifestyle will do it. Then they will seek for a cure, even blaming the government for their dilemma, pressuring them to find a cure for this scourge which they brought upon themselves. They do not realize that it is a scourge for promiscuity and homosexuality and is incurable.
    No doubt this Planned Parenthood is giving out condoms to homosexuals. Oh my! Two men cannot have babies. They, too, should pray to God to help them overcome this Sodom and Gomorrah which they bring on themselves, upon the land and nationals. It is only a matter of time when it will occur. :twisted: :twisted:
    Precaution is better than cure. Turn to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Obey His Commandments and as He taught according to Holy Scriptures. Live by them and with God’s help He will give you the faith and moral strength to practice self-restraint from what highly offends Him and which is a grievous/mortal sin which can take those who practice them straight to the jaws and interior of Hell forever. This is what will happen to all of you who are employed in this area, who promote Planned Parenthood and condoms in this Christian land of Dominica. You cannot say you are blest and Dominica is blest when immorality is practiced and encouraged in DA and by Christians. These are they who are morally and spiritually blind. There is a price to pay for disobedience to God. It is punishment in whatever manner God chooses according to the sins committed. Two more are criminal activities and murder. Note what has been occurring in Dominica which appears to be out of control. Do you think God is blind, deaf and sleeping?
    Whatever may befall the nation and nationals, do not haughtily say why me. Ask yourself what good have I done for Dominica and its nationals and to bring souls home to God and not away from Him. Preventing babies from being born, your future citizens, is not a good thing and does not please God.
    Many are complaining about unemployment in the land. Consider the number of babies who were either aborted or not given the opportunity to be conceived and how many of them, if they were born, could eventually become business owners and provide employment. Ever thought of that?
    Human beings and Christians at that openly oppress and murder their very own, depriving babies from being born as they ignore God and expect everything good to happen to them. This is also hypocrisy. Also give this a good thought. God is taking note.

  3. MewMew
    June 19, 2012

    Look folks, as far as I am concerned, the most sensible way to reduce HIV/AIDS incidence is through lifestyle change! HIV is not spread by mosquitoes. People smoke, they develop lung cancer. What now? A lung cancer vaccine? People eat poorly, they develop obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. What now? A vaccine? No. Lifestyle change; that’s it! Same for HIV.

  4. FIL
    June 19, 2012

    Gays are not the only ones who get aids. It
    happens to those who goes will multiple partners who does not practice safe sex. Parents talk to
    your children because we really don’t know what
    they are doing behind our backs.

  5. G
    June 19, 2012

    well your name can go on the papers for everyone to see when you owing bank and other institutions but you have to hide people who is destroying other people’s lives. The officers always inform their children, family and friends who to beware of though. God is Good. God will take care of us.

  6. strength
    June 19, 2012

    help us in this land.

    look old life. man loving man, married woman loving young boys, married man going being young girls, woman loving woman.

    one thing i know God destroyed two cities because of nastiness DA be careful

    • susan
      June 19, 2012

      IT’S ALL OVER THE WORLD. WE NEED TO PRACTICE SAVE SEX USED PROTECTION

    • Peeping Tom
      June 19, 2012

      HIV is not spread due to «nastiness.»

  7. Anonymous
    June 19, 2012

    Before i read any further, did she really say “much higher than the GENERALLY ACCEPTED figure?” ay ay so sickness and disease have an accepted amount?? I mean in this world today and who gets sick, To me things happen and we are sometimes unable to control based on circumstances. ACCEPTED FIGURE? hmm I’m not saying it should increase and so on, just these two words is like saying we’ve planned for it to reach at a figure. imjustsaying

    • June 19, 2012

      @Anonymous

      I can see your point; unless she meant to say “expected”. But if not, it would seem as if we are really ignorant of the fact that, by faith, we can speak against fleshly afflictions and sinful habits in our live. And unless we do, we are out to face defeat. We face defeat as we accept the sword of death from our spiritual enemy–the devil.

      I wish we would understand that sickness–in whatever form it enters our body, is not from God. For God is Love; and Love is perfect!

      That is what it means, when we read in the Bible that Jesus was perfect. One of those facts that made Him perfect was that His body could not contract sickness. Not only that Jesus did not commit sins–He could not sin! For Jesus Mind was the Mind of Love, and Love is of God Almighty. As human beings we must enter mind renewal, that our mind becomes like that of Jesus.

      Our sickness is from Satan; as the apostle Paul calls it, the thorn in the flesh–a messenger of Satan, which comes to buffet us.

      By faith, God has given us the weapon of victory against fleshly afflictions or sickness. This weapon is His Words. One of the most powerful weapon of words was executed from the mouth of Jesus Himself, when He rebuked the words of Satan through Peter. Jesus said towards Peter–“Get behind Me, Satan”. We can speak those same words to Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ.

      The prophet Isaiah told us, hundreds of years before Jesus entered this world: “By His stripes we are healed”.

      If only we would allow the wisdom of faith to put us into a sincere, spiritual relationship with our God of Love–in Spirit, Truth, and Holiness!

      Instead, we are calmly “accepting” the sword of Satan in our lives–which steals, kills, and destroys us. O dear! O dear!

    • FOOLISH
      June 19, 2012

      Are u stupid or playing foolish? ACCEPTED in this context simply refers to the numbers that we have accepted as factual into our records, meaning those cases that we have on record and that we can make assurances for; not taking into account the ppl who have been exposed and have not done the tests for one reason or another, whether it be fear of rejection etc.

      • June 20, 2012

        @Foolish

        And what makes a number “factual” pertaining to the contraction of any sickness or disease in people–even in our small population like Dominica?

  8. Anonymous
    June 19, 2012

    Is it that there is an increase in the number of new cases

    or

    an increase in the number of people surviving with HIV because of medication

  9. anonymous
    June 19, 2012

    stop leaving everything for govt. to do take your stand as a parent educate your children about sex and the consequences

  10. anonymous2
    June 19, 2012

    HIV brought to you by the U.N. via the pentagon laboratories.

  11. ihateny
    June 19, 2012

    I’m pretty sure is not only gay ppl that does get hiv/aids

    • Anonymous
      June 20, 2012

      Thank you. There is this belief that gays are responsible for the majority of AIDS cases. When are we going to educate ourselves? Any person who has AIDS can pass it on to another person once they are in sexual contact through bodily fluids. Once AIDS is mentioned we automatically think of sex. It can be spread through other avenues too.

      • Justice and Truth
        June 20, 2012

        @ Anonymous

        What else? It commenced with homosexuals whatever their color. When this dreadful scourge commenced I viewed a U.S. program which I had taped on VCR that blacks were to be blamed. Oh yes! They blamed black men then. Today, people of all races have contracted it. Those who have it also use condoms. I would be scared of those who have AIDS/HIV. Their saliva and probably touching others could give it to them. You should be aware that not everyone practices general hygiene. Some will go to the toilet and never wash their hands, worst yet in a big country. It is a disease to be scared of. For once it is contracted, there is no cure; eventual misery, suffering and death. People who contract it get skinny. People who get it also get scared knowing the inevitable.

      • Anonymous
        June 21, 2012

        Please look up how AIDS can be spread. It cannot be spread through saliva or touching someone. Whether it began with homosexuals which makes no sense to me it can be spread both heterosexually and homosexually.

    • Justice and Truth
      June 20, 2012

      @ihateny

      There are gays, rather homosexuals – call a spade a spade – who have sex with women. There are lesbians who have sex with men. There are married men who have sex with men and also with women including their wives and give it to them. Those people could contract AIDS/HIV from those partners.
      Babies also get it in their mothers’ wombs. How sad for those babies who have not yet even been born and lived. AIDS/HIV is a scourge of our century and is incurable.
      The originators need to be severely punished for it is a death sentence for those who innocently contract it from them. Some men give it to more than one woman. The women in turn, unknowingly give it to other men. Some women are raped by men who have AIDS/HIV. This is scary. Millions of people throughout the world have died from it. As time goes by there will be more. Once those affected report it to the Police this is why the Canadian Law of all arrest, charge and punish them by sending them to prison if they know they have it and willfully give it to another.

  12. phil me
    June 19, 2012

    i think they should ask every one in Dominica to take a HIV tes there are alot of gays in Dominica and alot of them go both ways men and women.

  13. Sugar
    June 19, 2012

    Another intervention which the country can engage in which HIV/AIDS mostly hit countries are preaching and implementing is male circumcision and making HIV/AIDS compulsory to all pregnant women in Dominica and these women should be accompanied by there husbands or man/boy friends.

    • Anonymous
      June 19, 2012

      Hasn’t HIV testing for pregnant women been compulsory for years now? I would assume the only reason you would want to test the husband/boyfriend of a pregnant woman is if the woman’s result is negative.

      I also know that if you are going to to sugery you do an HIV test.

      We should be responsible enough to do an HIV test everyyear when we do our annual checkups whether is one boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife we having sex with.

      • Sugar
        June 19, 2012

        The idea of testing both is for the benefit of them both and the unborn.Its common for one to take Med and hide the other person and if both are found or one of them they should be counselled and support each other so the children is protected from contracting.

      • FOOLISH
        June 19, 2012

        very well said except that you should correct the word negative to “positive”. One partner/one spouse/one buddy + condoms = less fear

  14. stoic
    June 19, 2012

    those hypocrite parents…..you all need to start educating your kids about safe sex…..stop telling them no relation ships…it ain’t working …stop the hypocrisy………………

    • ideal
      June 19, 2012

      i agree with you let them believe that their hids not having sex we need to teach more safe sex. it would be nice if we would abstain but this is the real world… no glove no love…

  15. ...with your spirit!
    June 19, 2012

    Health officials please get all the facts straight before coming out at press conference…. Not long ago another health official came out and say the exact opposite (the the number of HIV/AIDS patients are on the decline). Now today we have a different picture!!

    • Allan
      June 19, 2012

      you are so right, that goes to show you they are not doing the work they are being payed to do! these people see HIV/Aids as a way of making money! if i were to say these people don’t really care about the one’s with hiv all they do is sit in their office and talk talk talk! people don’t trust them because they are the one’s who would say who have it or not! trust me i know what am talk about shame one them in that HIV office!

  16. Anonymous
    June 19, 2012

    We need to continue to educate each other and we need to take more personal responsibility for our sexual habits.

  17. Evolved
    June 19, 2012

    Instead of the govt spending resourcing to investigate homosexuality in schools, they should spend the resources on further educating the youth and wider population on safe sex practices and more importantly support services for those living with the virus.

    • Jaming
      June 19, 2012

      Well if they can stop the homosexuality in schools thats X amount of people thats not going to contract the virus dont u think?

      • Allan
        June 19, 2012

        do you think it’s only gay men get HIV/AIDS? you better wake up from your sleep!

      • Evolved
        June 19, 2012

        spoken like a true uneducated Dominican – enough said

      • ideal
        June 19, 2012

        there are more straight people in DA with hiv/aids
        than gay people..pls dont be ignorant we all need to protect ourselves

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available