Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Agence France Presse (12.16.07) - Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Ali Khalil
The youth's mother said the family was only informed six weeks after the attack that one of the three suspects is HIV- positive. (The third suspect, a minor, is being tried in a juvenile court proceeding that resumes Dec. 25.)
A Dubai-based medical source familiar with the case, who was interviewed on condition of anonymity, said, "The victim could have been given treatment, which is 90 percent effective within 24 hours, to stop the virus from reaching the cells."
"The problem is that AIDS remains a social taboo. Everything is hidden and is not discussed," said the source. "Social and religious barriers complicate the matter in spreading awareness, not only in the UAE, but also across the region."
While some 4 million people live in the seven member states of the UAE, nationals make up only 20 percent of the population. Foreigners are tested for HIV before being granted residency status, and those found to be positive are deported at once. However, the millions of travelers who visit each year are not tested.
According to Abdul Ghaffar al-Ghafoor, under-secretary of the UAE's health ministry, 734 Emirati nationals are known to be HIV-positive. "We do register cases, so we would be able to follow them up and advise them further on treatment and prevention methods," said Nada al-Marzouqi, manager of the ministry's National HIV/AIDS Program.
In October, the victim's mother set up a Web site to press her demand that the UAE establish a specialized care center to treat the victims of sexual assault.
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