Over the past decades or so, there have been significant advances in the treatment methods of persons infected with HIV/AIDS and a corresponding increase in the accessibility of these methods. As a result of this, most countries have experiened marked declines in new HIV/AIDS infections and AIDS related deaths. Nevertheless,  the global number of people living with HIV in all the regions of the world, except the Caribbean, continues to rise. At first glance, this seems irreconcilable but is explicable on the basis that HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in some countries are not as effective as in others.  There might be a myriad of explanations for this but clearly the size and scope (and perhaps the content) of certain targeted prevention programmes need to be addressed. 

I want to focus on the 'Face of HIV' in the context of HIV/AIDS prevention. Is the image of a contemporary HIV infected person an impediment (at all) to the global HIV/AIDS campaign? (I ask this as a question because I do not know the answer). 

When I was much younger, my only image of a person infected with HIV/AIDS was a person reduced to a pitiful frame, incontinent and in diapers always requiring the assistance of someone else even to sit up straight. Those images were disturbing enough to shock your conscience because you would never want to descend to 'that state' due to your risky sexual behaviours. That is not the image of HIV/AIDS today. With the various advancements in treatment, people with HIV/AIDS now look as fresh, vibrant, healthy and sexually appealing as anyone else and quite a few of people infected with HIV live for a fairly protracted number of years. 

I sat in a Gender and HIV/AIDS workshop recently and this was my recurring thought: does an individual adjust his/her risky sexual behaviour and delay their many sexual pleasures to prevent a disease that might appear to them to not be as dangerous as we make it out to be? Do we need to tell them of the side effects of living on medication every single day of their lives? Do we need to tell them about the sporadic depressions that are common in some cases? Or do we abandon the 'fright' campaign completely and focus on the inherent sense in not having multiple, partners, using a condom and generally being careful about sexual lifestyle choices in this context? 

It occurred to me that the solution might be embedded in all the reasoned answers to the last question and that frightening sensationalist campaign are of very limited utility. I still cant help but think that the fact that 'HIV is not a death sentence' might affect HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programmes, if only to a very minute degree.

What do you think?

The issues of gender equality, women's rights and empowerment have no doubt gained traction over the past few years. However, women continue to be one of those populations most adversely affected by the world's most common vices whether it be HIV/AIDS, unemployment or gender-based sexual violence. Of course, this problem is more acute in certain countries especially those in the developing world. 

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures." In my view, this embodies the work that has been done concerning the empowerment of women and the work that needs to be done to further empower more women around the world. It speaks to the power of togetherness and common vision that is relevant to this progression and the embodiment of hope that should and will be the driving force going forward.

This video nicely puts everything in its proper context.

It is my hope that we will continue this trend of empowering women and change the landscape of the culture of inequality that has been maintained with respect to so many women around the world.

Love, Respect, Protect - a slogan as applicable to the fight against HIV/AIDS as it is to the cause of women around the world!


www.youtube.com/watch



Jermaine Case,
iYSO, JAMAICA

I woke up this morning reflecting about a lot of things. In particular though, I reflected on how far youth have come in terms of being active voices of change in their communities, in their countries and indeed across the globe. I said to myself that 'something good must be happening'.

I also wondered whether due to my initial concentration of my work in my University's circle I was just unaware of the commendably significant ways in which the youth can and have been changing the world. My recent experiences, however, have driven home the realisation that there are many youth out there whose work is bettering the lives of their colleagues currently and whose work will better the lives of generation to come. In any event though, I am certain that we have gradually been able to make more impacting and long lasting changes; in part because we have actively sought our direct participation in matters which affect us.

On every frontier in Jamaica the youth voices can be heard. In sexual and reproductive health and rights advocacy, in human rights generally, youth in governance and indeed many other aspects of our daily affairs. From local community work, country development to influencing the international agenda, the youth voices are clear and distinct yet unified: yearning to be heard and beckoning to create a better world for each of us.

Let us continue to multiply our efforts in letting our voices be heard, as the clear, distinct and unified voices that will change the world. 

Jermaine Case,
iYSO, Jamaica 
Jamaicans Safely Tackling Adolescent Reproductive Health & Rights (JSTAR) 

"We should not ignore the cries of those who continue to suffer because we fail to do what is right. It is time to be courageous and to be strong. It is time to usher our country into a new day where justice, liberty, and freedom prevail for all." - Former Minister of Health, Rudyard Spencer - Jamaica"

If a politician uttered these words in Jamaica a few years ago, he would have certainly committed political suicide of the most egregious type. That is clearly not the case today.

On Sunday June 29, 2012 Corbin Gordon and Tyler Thomas took to the Sunday Gleaner, Jamaica's tabloid newspaper, to demand more to protect gay rights for Jamaicans throughout 2012, the year of our 50th independence. That these two 'activists' can publicly call for protective measures for the LGBT community is certainly a positive indication that the work of activists like themselves has certainly not gone unnoticed.

The article outlines the various gains that have been made in respect of the community with a clear realisation, of course, that more still needs to be done to promote and protect the human rights of all Jamaicans. 

I highlight this article not just for its significance to the Jamaica LGBT community. I highlight this article because at the very core, it underscores the important work that we do as advocates in the various fields whether it be HIV/AIDS, Sexual and Reproductive Health/Contraceptive Access and Social/Racial Inclusion. The achievements highlighted in the article would not have been possible without the many brave youth who identified a cause, created a message and drove it home to the target audience. The sort of thing that we learn at the annual Urban Retreat put on by Advocates for Youth. The article also solidifies our roles as change agents and confirms the suggestion that the youth of today are charting the path for a much brighter and more inclusive tomorrow. 

So whenever activism seems arduous and even dangerous, we should always remember that ever ounce of effort expended will make this world a place where our differences are not divisive but are bound together by that common thread of humanity which binds our conscience and reinforces mutual respect among us. Every time we have even the slightest thought of quitting, we must always remember the many disenfranchised people who await patiently for us to exert our youthful exuberance to chance the present and shape the future.

Jermaine Case
iYSO, Jamaica 

We are 27 days into 2012, another 338 days left to go. There is much than can happen in a minute, one's life may change dramatically in an hour and it only takes a matter of days for there to be a paradigmatic change.

As 2012 unfolds, international partners and stakeholders in the global youth movement are presented with the opportunity to press on earnestly to continue to increase awareness, recognition and respect for adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights in all circles. But even though time marches on and civilisation should naturally follow the same progression, there are many countries which continue to lag behind in their public recognition of the rights of all adolescents whether male, female, gay, straight or transgendered. Jamaica, our island in the sun, is one example of those countries. It is my desire that 2012 will usher in a more inclusive common-sense approach to these matters; a desire I hope is not too presumptuous. 

In 2012 we will continue to knock fists with HIV/AIDS, especially in circles which continue to maintain laws that present themselves as virtually insurmountable hurdles in this knock-out fight. The 2011 World Aids Day theme 'Getting to Zero' is particularly instructive and should be forever etched in our minds as we aim for the targets of Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS-Related Death. These targets must be the primary focus of all our strategies as the youth continue to contribute to development in these areas in their individual countries and certainly across the world.

On a much more fundamental level, we are given yet another opportunity to be respectful to and of each other. As the years pile on, globalisation becomes more entrenched. We must all, therfore, seek to develop mutual respect of our differences and diversities in what will largely become a homogenous society. This is the ultimate opportunity that lingers in 2012. One that should be caught like a bull by the horns and one that augurs for all of our benefits as a global society.

2012 will present threats, challenges and opportunities. We should seize these opportunities and minimise the threats and challenges to make 2012 a very fruitful and historic one through our individual and collective efforts.  

Jermaine Case,
International Youth Speak Out Project (iYSO) 
JAMAICA

The recent Advocates for Youth Urban Retreat held in Washington D.C. in September 2011 was simply FABULOUS! Not only did it bring so many commendably brave and passionate youth advocates together, it also provided an avenue for meaningful discourse on youth sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). For that, I express my sincerest gratitude to Advocates for Youth for facilitating this much needed space.

Often, when doing this work, there are many hurdles which may cause the build up of lactic acids in our legs and make every successive hurdle even harder to mount. However, being at Urban Retreat underscored why every stride is important and why every ounce of strength and determination must be expended in overcoming every hurdle in this continuing advocacy race.

As I sat in my seat (sometimes labouring under information overload or too stuffed with snacks from the Youth Lounge) I was inspired by the stories of people living with and conquering HIV, I took courage from the many advocates who put their lives on the line to ensure that LGBT rights are protected and I got momentum from that advocate who walked all of the East Coast to strengthen the rights of ‘immigrants’ in America. Most importantly though, I felt challenged by the work of all advocates and especially my international counterparts from Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria and even from Jamaica (part of the Global South) to continue being an agent for change because of the thousands of lives that we save everyday directly or indirectly by our efforts.

I have been an advocate for many years in a few different areas. Prior to Urban Retreat, I must confess that I was an advocate on SRHR issues because of my prior work in the area and due to the moral obligation I felt towards my community. Yes, I’ve heard the horrendous stories before and Yes! I was inspired by these stories to continue SRHR work. But nothing beats the solidarity I felt among so many youth, all being an advocate in their own cause and all demonstrating such wonderful qualities. So here I stand, inspired, motivated and at full momentum, ready to continue this race. I do realise that it is not a 100 meter dash with golden perks and global popularity. However, it is a race for rights, respect and responsibility and definitely a worth race running! On your marks, set, run!

For generations, the manifestation of common thought in Jamaica is that the Church, Sex and the State are three mutually exclusive entities or phenomena and for a lot of people a mixture of all or any two of those things could sometimes lead to vitriolic clashes in many circles, so much so that the Church and the State are entrenched separate entities. I wish to place this theory in the context of Jamaica’s fight against HIV/AIDS and general risky youth sexual practices and the role that the church plays or could potentially play (depending on the prism through which this interface is viewed).

An article entitled “Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Jamaican Adolescents” http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3700611.html presents the findings of a recent study which reveals that “Nearly half of sexually active Jamaican adolescents report using condoms inconsistently or not at all in the last year,” of course, a very frightening state of affairs. The study further noted that those who were able overcome the lure of sexual gratification attributed their measured risk of behavior-sexual activities to “regular attendance at religious services.” The finding of this study highlights the potential role of the Church and other religious organisations in our society to assist the efforts of the State and non-State actors in taming the highly contagious “Risky Sex” beast that rampantly traverses many parts of this country. The findings also indicate that these three things are not mutually exclusive but that the one clearly is dependent on the other in this particular context.

Conversely, while attendance at church may tend to have that general effect in ideal circumstances (and the study does not reveal the extent to which this is the case), the failure of our religious sector to unlearn defunct approaches to ‘evangelising’ have also had the counter-effect of influencing risky sexual practices. I refer specifically to their general stance to sexually active teenagers, their staunch homophobic messages and their general reluctance to discuss sex and sexual practices with its members. More often than not, this topic is seen as taboo and an activity that should be exclusive to married people; a notion that clearly ignores the vividly contrasted reality. The church should therefore be more actively involved in the sex educations of the citizens of our nation to support the functions of the State and of course there is nothing wrong with teaching when sex is permissible or desirable within their religious context. Overall, however, important sexual and reproductive aspects should not be sacrificed on the alter of clearly old-fashioned religious practices. This study then, even if it scratched the surface, should not be ignored.

The State is primarily responsible and charged with matters concerning sexual and reproductive health but the church does indeed have a moral duty to support these matters in the way that they reasonably can. Of course, certain fundamental changes will not happen overnight as certain cultural values may take decades to be unlearned. Championing SRHR requires synergy; synergy of the hearts and mind of its champions and importantly synergy of the different entities within our societies.

For the past few decades, the world has seen a dramatic increase in international relations both due to escalating advances in technologies and the globalisation of thoughts, ideas and objectives of the world's most progressive nations. Not the least bit recognisable is the emergence of countless international conventions setting out fundamental human rights and freedoms. These conventions include the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR), the Conevention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of a Child and the United Declaration of Human Rights. The substance of the rights contained in these provisions, disappointingly, still continue to elude some of the world's most vulnerable populations such as women, children, minorities and the gay/lesbian community. This is due to the fact that it appears that these instruments are entered into as mere formalities and cannot be litigated in most national courts or it is too expensive to access international mechanisms for the enforcement of these rights (wherever such mechanisms exists).

Reference is made particularly to two recent incidents. That is, the recent passage of the Charter of Fundamental Rights & Freedoms in Jamaica which still failed to widen the non-discriminatory clause and the centuries-old practice of circumcising young girls in parts of Africa, such as Kenya, which has lit up international media: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/video/2011/apr/18/female-genital-mutilation-video. 

It therefore begs the questions of whether international conventions such as the ones highlighted above are nothing but 'sitting ducks' and whether the enforcement of international human rights obligations are being sacrificed on the alter of religion, culture or ignorance as the case may be. It also leads one to further question whether these largely non-justiciable human rights provisions (at least from the point of view of domestic law) do much to advance the state of the most vulnerable in our societies. This is not to discount the work of international human rights activists who have been working hard to vindicate the rights of people across the globe and who have been successful in many recognisable respects. However, there remains much to be done. And since Rome wasn't built in a day, it will clearly take a while to get this right! 

February 7 -14, 2011 is Safer Sex Week in Jamaica. With the fluctuating but fairly steady increase in teenage pregnancies across the island and the worryingly persistent increase in HIV infections between 1999-2009 (21% or 1436 cases), there is no doubt that Jamaica could certainly benefit from this campaign. Disappointly, however, this is not the first time that such a campaign is being undertaken. Unfortunately, the story always unfolds the same way and it ends frustratingly with the characteristically anti-climatic curtain call.

Like many initiatives in Jamaica, the objective behind Safer Sex Week is most noble and commendable. However, the institutional disjoint with which this country is faced, which is evidenced by the lack of the right collaborations in the appropriate Ministries, coupled with the lack of results-oriented precision with which these tasks are executed lead one to wonder whether the Ministry of Health has got it right this time. “Protect Your Love, Use a Glove” is the brand for this week’s Safer Sex campaign but with the incongruent increases in HIV infections it begs the obvious questions: Are we preaching to the right audience? Why do these attempts, if only in the grand scheme of things, seem somewhat futile?

There is certainly no dearth of public statistics on the nuances of HIV/AIDS in Jamaica. Strikingly, however, the research data that is available to the public at least seem not to be sufficient enough to gauge the targeted intervention that is required to combat the spread of this disease. Certainly, if the contrary were true, there would be no guessing that for Jamaica to have commendable reductions in new HIV infections such as countries like Uganda, it must concentrate its prevention mechanisms at the grass-root levels by going into communities most desiring of these services and by using the right people to champion this cause.

It is clear that there has to be something fundamentally wrong with our campaign strategies if we still have imbeciles who believe that having sex with a virgin will cure HIV and AIDS. I am certainly not advocating that we undertake the impossible task of trying to set up a foolproof system. I am suggesting on the contrary that we reassess whether we are reaching our targeted audience in general and during Safer Sex Week in particular and if in fact we are, whether we need to reconsider our methodologies and approaches.

Finally, the HIV/AIDS epidemic needs to be considered in its proper context. Most of our national objectives will probably not be met if discrimination and stigma continue to abound in its present undesirable form being in parts largely nourished by certain aspects of our culture. We must nonetheless continue to educate our people on a much wider scale with a more encapsulating and precise penetration of HIV and STI prevention programmes which will produce measurable outcomes. Safer Sex Week should not be just one of the noble things to do in the national fight against HIV/AIDS. It should set objectives which can be reasonably achieved and quantified or can in some other means attest to its utility.

Jermaine Case,
International Youth Speak Out Project
JSTAR Council, JAMAICA