For many
people, lots of things come easy - getting an education,
acquiring and maintaining a job and doing things that
are part of being normal. But for some others, being
normal is far from their reality.
They do not have the chance to
freely get an education or maintain a job or have a
family, because of one aspect of their life –
the fact that they are HIV positive.
This, for them, presents many difficulties,
aggravated by the intense struggle they have to face
with stigma and discrimination.
The Jamaica Red Cross (JRC) with
the support of the United States (US) Embassy is working
to change the attitudes of Jamaicans towards persons
living with HIV (PLWHA) through an Anti-Stigma and Discrimination
programme aimed at reducing the level of stigma and
discrimination experienced by PLWH so that they will
be able to live normal lives and be able to access all
essential services and benefits, including education
and health.
Through the programme, communities
within the fourteen parishes are invited to participate
in HIV and AIDS sensitization sessions, which include
presentations on HIV and AIDS and testimonials from
HIV infected individuals.
Leonia Jackson, a 16 year old student
from the Claremont community in rural St Ann, was one
of 55 persons who participated in a recent intervention
conducted under the programme. Leonia learnt about the
plans for the activity from a peer who had heard it
advertised.
She had previously attended sessions
around HIV and AIDS and thought she knew enough about
the issues. However she never imagined her life could
be impacted by this intervention in the way it did.
In response to the pretest questionnaire,
Leonia agreed that persons who are HIV positive should
be allowed to work, but she would never buy fresh fruits
and vegetables from someone who was HIV positive.
However after the session, her
position changed as she now saw no harm in food from
someone a PLWHA. She noted that this was because the
sessions facilitated an increase in her understanding
of how HIV is transmitted and the challenges persons
living with HIV and AIDS face when their rights are
infringed.
Questions on myths particularly
those relating to kissing and contraction of HIV were
also cleared up.
Leonia was also fascinated by the
power of the teaching methodologies used in the sessions.
They were interactive and allowed
for frank discussion around the issues. She was particularly
touched by one activity that simulated contraction of
syphilis, gonorrhea and HIV.
Twelve persons in the room contracted
HIV from one person who was infected. These 12 persons
may have also transmitted to other people.
For her, this was a profound experience
that shows how the incidence of HIV can grow in a community
or church.
“The activity was meaningful
because the epidemic is growing and many people do not
know about it. People who have it are dying because
of lack of knowledge and they are afraid to go out in
public and to go to the clinic. The activity also showed
me the importance of condom use and abstaining from
sex,” said Leonia.
| 
