IMMIGRATION, STIGMA & HIV: The case of Belize & Trinidad. I repeatedly hear nationals of Belize and Trinidad and Tobago say that the sections in their immigration laws which ban the entry of gays, the disabled, and other prohibited classes, are not being enforced, so we shouldnt make a big deal about them. Well, the obvious question is, if the laws are not being enforced, why keep them? The only logical reason and result of retaining these unenforced laws is the stigmatization of those persons who fall into the prohibited classes. Tragically, it is also these persons who are most vulnerable to HIV. And as UNAIDS and others, including the Jamaican Minister of Health, have pointed out, this sort of stigma and discrimination contributes to a climate which drives vulnerable groups underground, away from effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support interventions. As the region with the second highest HIV prevalence rate worldwide, we must eradicate all impediments to an effective HIV response, including legislatively supported stigma. The recent CCJ ruling is an important first step in that direction.
Posted on: Sat, 10 May 2014 12:11:38 +0000
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