ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Nov 25, CMC – Health authorities are worried at a spike in HIV cases in Antigua and Barbuda as the country gears to observe World AIDS Day on December 1 this year.
“Everyone was on the road to getting to zero. Then COVID came and pushed everything back about 10 years. People had trouble accessing treatment, countries were closed or partially closed, and many were at home, bored, and more exposed,” National AIDS Programme Manager, Delcora Williams, said on the state-owned ABS television.
She said the increase in cases is most evident among teenagers between the ages 15 to 19 years as well as young adults between 24 and 48.
“This is very worrisome. The younger you are when you test positive, the more negative the impact on your most productive years,” Williams said, noting that despite the stigma surrounding HIV, young people here are actively engaging in unprotected sex.
She appealed to young people to take responsibility for their sexual health, especially when partners insist they are HIV negative.
“No one is going to tell you they’re positive. If someone says they’re negative, go and get both of you tested. Many don’t know their status, and some say what they think you want to hear so they can have unprotected sex.”
HIV statistics for 2024 show gaps in treatment uptake with Williams, explaining that the AIDS Secretariat reports official figures to UNAIDS only after data is cleaned the following March. However, preliminary numbers indicate approximately 1,500 accumulated HIV cases in Antigua and Barbuda. Of these, more than 400 people have died, while only around 600 individuals are currently accessing care and treatment. An estimated 1,015 people living with HIV are still alive.
Williams told viewers of the importance of regular HIV testing, particularly for sexually active young people who do not know their partner’s status. She also urged parents to move beyond avoidance and denial and take an active role in protecting their children.
“We forget how we used to be when we were young. Some young people are brave enough to come into the AIDS Secretariat for condoms, many are not. That’s why parents must step up.
“The AIDS Secretariat offers free testing. Make it a family health day. Go together and get tested every year.” Williams said, adding that while abstinence is ideal, it is not the current reality.
“Our children are out there engaging in unprotected sex. As adults, we must look at strategies to make sure they remain safe,” Williams said, appealing also for changes in the legal age for someone to consent to having sex.
In Antigua and Barbuda, individuals can legally consent to sex at age16, but still require an adult to access condoms, HIV tests, and other health services.
“That must change. If you’re telling a young person they can have sex at 16, they should also be able to protect themselves at 16.”
Williams said also that teenagers often avoid seeking help because they fear parental judgment and that making health services independently accessible would empower them to protect themselves against HIV, pregnancy, and other risks.
She spoke of the roadblocks the AIDS Secretariat experiences in its education campaign, noting that some schools are resisting collaborations with the AIDS Secretariat, even as youth infection rates climb.
“It is very difficult to get into schools to do HIV education. We’re seeing increases in younger age groups, yet some schools turned down our invitation.”
On Friday, the Secretariat will host a “Teen Talk” initiative, inviting 10 students from each school to a peer-education session, the aim being to train teens to become HIV awareness ambassadors among their classmates.
“Peers listen to peers more than they listen to us,” she explained. “But some schools still declined. If one of their students becomes HIV positive, will their conscience be alive or dead?”
But Williams is also worried that young people are of the opinion that HIV is a manageable condition compared to other diseases.
“Some young persons are saying it is better to have HIV than cancer. We’re trying to tell them no — it’s not. HIV has no cure. Once it is in your system, it is there for good,” she said, warning that failure to seek treatment could lead to death.
CMC/ah/ir/2025