Sadé Leon-Slinger: "Because I am working in a situation affecting all people you end up being stigmatised and marginalised."

WE CAN'T do it alone!

Parents, the church and the community need to get on board as health officials try
to reach the young people, especially those in the 15 to 19 age group who are at risk
of contracting HIV.

Sade Leon-Slinger, community health education officer with the Ministry of Health, said there were some in society who preferred to "bury their heads in the sand" rather than help the youth when they were going wrong.

"We don't do as much as we can. We only do when it touches us directly. That is when we get on board," she said.

She also believes "the power of sex" should be addressed.

"These are normal feelings made by God," she said, taking issue with some of the messages which come from the church.

Leon-Slinger said the alternatives must be put to young people.

"That's why they are overstimulated by videos and music. They don't know what to do so they just follow-pattern," she added.

She wants to get back to the days when it took an entire community to raise a child.

"We can help young people. Our young people have the information, but they are not sure how to translate it into behaviour," she said.

This health educator believes that people are changing their lifestyles. "They are practising healthier behaviours and choices," she said.

Leon-Slinger also spoke about the ministry's voluntary counselling and testing prevention programme, where those being tested are counselled before and after they are tested.

"We also provide help – help if a person is positive, and if a person is negative so they can stay negative," she added.

Leon-Slinger said the Ministry of Health had a Treatment Care and Support Programme – a multi-disciplinary task force comprising all groups including social workers, doctors, those in welfare and pharmacy to meet the needs of those persons who test positive. And for the person who is negative, she said there is a risk reduction programme to help them stay negative.

She said the Ministry of Health was also trying to standardise all the information going out to the public. "There is a lot of misinformation as it relates to HIV and AIDS. You have to realise you have people's lives in your hands," she stressed.