Washington Post Examines Stigma Surrounding AIDS in Caribbean

In a front-page feature, today's Washington Post examines the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. AIDS is the leading cause of death among Caribbeans between the ages of 15 and 45, and the number of infections is growing "exponetial[ly]," according to C. James Hospedales, director of the Caribbean Epidemiology Center. But the region's epidemic remains "shrouded in denial at home and largely ignored by much of the rest of the world," the Post reports. The relative poverty of the Caribbean has prevented most patients from getting treatment, and in the absence of such therapy, "the certainty that AIDS patients will eventually die has led societies across the region to ignore and shun the afflicted." The "highly conservative, strongly religious" society still regards HIV/AIDS as a "disease of homosexuals and prostitutes" and political leaders "rarely" address the issue, the paper reports (DeYoung, Washington Post, 6/19). To read the full Washington Post article, click here. Please note that this link is available to Web readers only.