Expert: Tourism spreading AIDS

INTER-CONTINENTAL linkages must be developed in order to tackle the problem of HIV/ AIDS caused by visitor influx according to Caroline Allen of the Medical Research Council and Public Health Services of the University of Glasgow. Allen made this observation while addressing a symposium organised by the Centre for Gender and Development Studies, of the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus on “Gender Sexuality and the Implications for Substance Use and HIV/ AIDS.” Allen explained that migration has been a major contributor to the spread of HIV/AIDS across the world. Studies, she said, have shown that AIDS in New York has increased through migration from areas such as the Caribbean, Latin America, Eastern Europe/Soviet among others, with the Caribbean contributing 46 percent to the increase.

She said that some sort of link must be set up to deal with the spread of the disease from the migration stand point. She explained that areas where people have migrated for work in mine fields or the sugar cane industry in the Dominican Republic, have shown significant increase in the reported cases of HIV/ AIDS. Allen noted that several factors such as vulnerability through migration, psychological effects of starting over a new life, discrimination, lack of human rights and access to services, economic hardship and marginalisation played a part in risky sexual behaviour.

Allen explained that sex work and labour migration had a 6.5 % increase among young males in the mining region, while HIV Seroprevalence increased from 7% in 1991 to 15% in 1997 among Haitian immigrants living and working in the Bateyes or Sugar Cane Industry in the Dominican Republic. She also noted that tourism played a major role in the spread of HIV/ AIDS, since the ads used to sell destinations are highly sexual and suggested that emphasis be placed on areas where there is a large influx of mobile groups for tourism or employment.