The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

"Get Tested Bey" is the message to the public as part of the 12th annual National Testing Day - held in Pompey Square on Friday.

The event is organised by the National HIV/AIDS Programme in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, and workers from the HIV & AIDS Centre brought the free HIV screening test to encourage people to be proactive about knowing their status and to practice safe sex.

Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said the main goal of the initiative is to “increase public participation in voluntary counselling and testing".

Lynette Deveaux, a research coordinator at the HIV & Aids Centre, told The Tribune another goal is to “normalise HIV testing", so that it could be considered a standard part of a person's “health screening process".

“HIV, like many other sexually transmitted infections, can be in your body up to ten years without there being any sign that you are infected, so the only way to know that is through testing,” she said.

“What many persons don’t know is that we have effective medication that is available free of charge to the public,” she added.

Mrs Deveaux said that once a person tests positive for HIV, they are placed into care and the prognosis is usually “very good".

She said while there is no cure for the virus, if medication is taken as prescribed, it is possible for people to “feel healthy”.

She said: “There’s a condition called viral suppression...where it would seem as if HIV is not in the body. It’s still there, but they feel healthy (and) they’re okay.

“The Bahamas has signed onto the 90-90-90 treatment strategy and a part of that is we want 90 percent of all persons who are HIV positive to know their status.

“The other thing is out of those persons who know their status, we want 90 percent of them to get into care and on medication.”

“And for those who are into care and on medication, we want 90 percent of them to achieve viral suppression. So that’s our ultimate goal in 2020 to end AIDS.”

Still, Mrs Deveaux insisted that even though the country’s HIV statistics are beginning to decrease, one of their major concerns is people growing “complacent” and forgetting the importance of annual testing.

“We want persons to be aware. We know people are going to have sex, so as long as persons are sexually active they need to get a test at least once a year.”

“If you have multiple sexual partners, then you should get tested two or maybe three times a year, but it’s important to know your status.”

The HIV screening test was broken down into five stages: registration, pre-test counselling, rapid testing, post-test counseling and incentives.

Mrs Deveaux said while they tried to “create a fun, light environment", the event dealt with a “very serious matter", because the results of an HIV test could drastically transform a person’s life.

“This is very, very important, primarily because we know that people are engaging in risk taking behaviours and engaging in... unprotected sex (or) any (other) form of sexual contact puts you at risk.”

“...Even if their results are negative, they still need to be counseled because we don’t want them to be negative in 2019 and then come back in 2020 and test positive.”

Adding to her sentiments, Emile Lesbott, a health educator and prevention officer said being aware of their status can give individuals a “heads-up in terms of making good decisions".

“It’s giving that awareness that if you want to have an encounter with a sexual partner that you don’t know anything about or their history, then use a condom to protect yourself,” he said.

A registered nurse, Beverley Boyd, was also at the screening fair to provide blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol tests.

“If you are positive with HIV, you need to learn how to take care of your body because people living with HIV can live a healthy life if they take care of their body and take their medication,” she said.

“So we just want them to know… and we want those who are healthy to stay healthy...because bad living, bad eating habits, or a bad lifestyle can cause high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases that contribute to ill health.”

Those in attendance were also given “little packages” with female and male contraceptives, as well as flyers notifying them of the days and dates free HIV screening tests were available at the HIV & Aids Centre’s office.