P.M. on Teenage HIV Cases

Prime Minister, the Honorable Dr. Denzil Douglas says Caribbean leaders are concerned about the rising number of HIV cases in teenagers.

The announcement was made on his weekly show, Ask the PM.

He said that Caribbean statistics have shown that there is an increase in the number of girls under age fifteen who are having unprotected sex. He said that this increase leads to an increase in the number of pregnancies as well as an increase in the number of teens contracting the virus.

The Prime Minister said that a concerted effort must be made to show young persons how to protect themselves from HIV by either abstaining or practising safe sex.

He said that some persons may feel that because medical advances are lessening the threat of HIV, they have the right to be sexually irresponsible.

He asserted that this is the wrong approach and that everyone should protect themselves from HIV.