InterPress News Service (IPS); Thursday, 19 December 1996.
Sam Pragg

While some are quick to make a link between the disease and activities in the industry, health officials say there may not be a connection, but still many remain unconvinced.

That is because the latest figures are showing the western parish of St. James as having the highest number of persons infected with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

"If there was no tourism, we wouldn't have so many young people engaging in sexual relations with these foreigners," says taxi- driver, Joel Wilson.

Montego Bay, the renowned tourism resort is the capital of St. James and for every 1,000 persons living there 186 are said to be suffering from this disease, compared with a rate of 115 for the country's capital city, Kingston. Trelawny another parish in the west has 57, and St. Catherine, the parish adjoining Kingston, 55 per 1,000.

"The fact that the rate of infection in St. James is so high is bad," says Vivienne Williams-Thompson, the Parish Coordinator for the HIV-Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Programme. "For every reported case, we estimate that there are about three more unreported cases."

The category of commercial sex worker, which embraces prostitutes and beach boys, is by far the largest infected grouping with 72 cases. The other categories are mainly street vendors, labourers, factory workers and hotel workers. The figure for this last group is six.

"That category of hotel workers must be more," Williams- Thompson says. "Hotel workers tend to have more contact with tourists than a few of the other categories above them."

"Unofficially, a lot of hotel workers are having sex with guests, and several hotels are turning a blind eye to these activities," says hotel worker Janet Morgan. "It is seen as another way to please guests, and it is covertly encouraged. What makes it even worse is that these people are not protecting themselves."

Karen is a hotel worker in Montego Bay who has the virus. She suspects that she was infected by a tourist.

"The guests used to give me money, so I was almost like a prostitute," she says. "But the money worked out to be quite a lot, being in U.S. dollars, much more than the small salary I was earning from the hotel. It's just that, right now, the price to pay is so high."

The Jamaican rate of exchange now stands at 35 Jamaican dollars to one U.S. dollar. A casual worker in a hotel could earn in the region of 50 dollars each week.

But, says Williams-Thompson, it is unfair to blame the increase in AIDS cases on the tourism industry. She says individuals must take responsibility for their actions, and that they need to protect themselves.

"It is possible that St. James is seen as a resort for leisure and pleasure. There is a prevalence of commercial sex activities, such as prostitutes and beach boys. These persons practice unprotected sex however, and it is their responsibility to protect themselves," says Williams-Thompson.

Along with other members of her team Williams-Thompson has been trying to educate workers about AIDS in factories and other areas in the parish. She says she will be targetting schools and hotels next.

Within St. James, the number of males infected with the virus outstrips the number of females. A total of 159 men have contracted the disease compared to 94 women, while another 211 males have the HIV virus as against 123 females.

"It is believed that men tend to have more partners, and take part in more unprotected sex. We have to focus on prevention, such as the proper use of condoms," says Williams-Thompson.

But there are some men who are still refusing to use a condom, despite all the messages urging them to do so.

"I used to believe that the condom was a method to kill off the black man," says John who lives in St. James and is infected with the virus. "And I wanted to spread my seed. If I had swallowed my pride, and been careful, I would not be in this predicament."

Jamaica AIDS Support is a non-profit non-governmental organisation which has been trying to address this problem. The group distributes condoms and makes arrangements for individuals to be tested for the virus

"We also conduct educational workshops and make presentations to schools and churches," says Devon Cammock, head of the Support group. "We offer counselling prior to and after testing, to address fears that may arise about the disease."

Studies reveal that the age group with the highest risk of infection is men in the 25 to 29 age group -- the highly economically active group. In the 15 to 19 age group the number of girls infected is higher than the boys.

Williams-Thompson's project is funded with the assistance of German technical cooperation, with contributions from non- governmental organisations. However, she feels that because the problem is so great, that funding will never be enough.

"There is so much work to do, and we need the support of the business community. It's a disease where cases are doubling every year, and it will affect the workforce, including managers and skilled personnel. I would like to see organisations such as the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce getting involved in the prevention of the disease, because it will affect their business operations in the long run," says Williams-Thompson.

She also sees a role for churches and service clubs in educating the public about the disease.

"We can do that without preaching or moralising. Because it will affect all of us in the long run if it is not checked," she says. (end/ips/he/ms/cb/96)

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