Vincentians, know your status, get tested today

In an effort to achieve the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 90-90-90 targets, the local HIV/AIDS Unit is encouraging persons to get tested.

In 2014, UNAIDS and partners launched the 90-90-90 targets. The aim is to diagnose 90 per cent of all HIV-positive persons, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 90 per cent of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression for 90 per cent of those treated by 2020.

If this is achieved, the HIV/AIDS epidemic can be ended by 2030.

Azonya Vanloo, assistant to the director at the HIV/AIDS Unit in Old Montrose told SEARCHLIGHT that every Vincentian is being encouraged to get tested so that they can know their status and as a result help fight HIV/AIDS.

“I encourage people, it doesn’t matter if it is World Aids Day, its doesn’t matter if it is Carnival time, it doesn’t matter if its Valentine’s Day, you have to know your status and always ensure if it is negative, you take the steps to keep it negative and if it’s positive you can get linked to treatment, care and support and you can live a long healthy life,” said Vanloo.

Vanloo noted that last World Aids Day on December 1, the Unit pushed testing and did a four day drive to get persons tested.

“The theme was ‘Know your status, get tested’ and we were and still are encouraging people to get tested and know their status.

“It is important to know your status because we are trying to achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets to help us to end AIDS by 2030, so basically we need to get people tested to know who is negative and who is positive. You have to come out and we really encourage people,” said Vanloo.

The Unit’s four-day drive saw persons being tested at the Red Cross headquarters (November 30), at the HIV/AIDS Unit at Largo Heights (December 1) and at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College at Villa (SVGCC).

During that period, a total of 251 persons were tested with only three positive results. That brought the number of persons testing positive this year so far to 39, up from 36 in 2017.
“Stigma and discrimination is still a huge barrier to testing. People still have a lot of misconceptions as it relates to HIV.

“Even when we were doing outreach, some of the things you hear people say are hurtful. Things like people living with HIV should die, exile to an island. But you can’t do that, because we all have basic human rights, to live and access health care and not everybody gets HIV because of sexual promiscuity, some are at home and it meets them, and some are born with it,” commented Vanloo in her effort to try to end stigma and discrimination.

Vanessa Antoine of Gibson Corner, a woman who recently got tested is encouraging everybody to do the same. Antoine tested negative for HIV/AIDS and says that it is great when you know your status.
“I just want to tell persons to get tested so that they can know their status. I did my test at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

“You might not be cheating, but you do not know what your partner doing,” said Antoine who said the rapid testing is easy.

“You should get tested because you never know who has it. Plenty people have AIDS and spreading it, they must stop,” said Antoine.

She said a person with HIV/AIDS does not have to worry as he or she can go to the hospital, get treatment and live long.

Testing is done Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the HIV/AIDS Unit at Largo Heights and at the Planned Parenthood office at Lower Kingstown Park.

Testing is also done at the Infectious Disease Clinic at Rose Place on Thursdays, at the health centre in Enhams on Friday and at the health centres in Stubbs and Richland Park on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. Testing is also done on Bequia by appointment and at any of the private local labs.

The test takes 15 to 20 minutes and involves pre and post counsellings.