STATISTICS HAVE SHOWN that the rate of infection of the HIV virus is on the decline in the local gay community, says founder and president of the United Gays and Lesbians Against Aids Barbados (UGLAAB), Darcy Dear.
Dear revealed this as he spoke to the DAILY NATION during his association’s anniversary and candlelight service at the River Road Church of the Glorious Christ in Bridgetown yesterday.
The UGLAAB founder said this decrease could be attributed to “behaviour change” which is practised in the community.
“We as an organisation stress on behaviour change because it is the only way we can combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.
“From the time this organisation started back in 2001, I started to get members of the gay community to commit to one partner, and people called this effort pushing gay marriages.
“But today, I can see that my efforts have paid off. Today I am very proud that the word is getting out and that behaviour change is taking place,” he said.
The president also noted that his organisation embraced and encouraged members of the community who had contracted the virus to refrain from risky sexual practices.
“What we do is once we have a member of the gay community testing positive, we keep in touch and we are there to support them.
“By doing this, we don’t allow them to relax and go back to their old risky sexual practices.”
Dear said this was working because a lot of them had one steady partner and they were still enjoying life.
“I think it is good that members of this community, which is looked upon with scorn in Barbados, can look out for each other,” he said.
Dear added: “Barbadians are beginning to realise that this disease has no barrier, knows no bounds, and whether you are gay, straight, crooked, however you define yourself, this disease will touch you if you do not do the right thing.
“It is not just about safer sex; safe sex is the key,” he stressed.
“But because statistics show the disease has gone rampant in the heterosexual community, I think Barbadians have begun to realise that they now have seen that this is not a gay disease.
“Barbadians are beginning to see us, not as gay people who carry a disease, but as human beings and that is very important to the organisation.”
Meanwhile, as Minister of Health Donville Inniss delivered the feature address at the HIV/AIDS Annual Volunteers’ Awards Ceremony on Saturday night at Accra Beach Hotel, the Barbados HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report 2008 again noted the trend of more men than women being diagnosed with HIV.
