With a record-breaking 245 new HIV cases reported in 2022, the Ministry of Health intensifies its call for safe sex practices and emphasizes the crucial need for HIV screening.

The alarming increase in cases has led to a concerning trend of late presentations, resulting in a number of HIV and AIDS-related deaths as well.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic Officer Pravineel Singh highlighted the risk factors that can potentially lead to HIV and AIDS.

“Some of the risk factors people are actually looking into right now is that if you have multiple sex partners, if you have any history of injectable drug use or tattoos done recently.”

He highlights the importance of early detection for effective treatment, offering the potential for individuals to lead normal lives.

“So basically what it means is that if someone is started on ARV’s , the medication that’s actually used for HIV, within six months of continuous treatment, then their viral load, which is a way for us to quantify the amount of virus in the blood, actually becomes undetectable, and at that stage they become un-transmissible.”

The Health Ministry says early screening is the key to curbing the rising HIV cases, ensuring timely intervention and fostering healthier lives.