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Youth HIV/AIDS Testing Day is Tuesday – Dr Palto

Aug 09, 2008 News

As part of the Health Ministry’s ongoing campaign to encourage citizens to know their HIV/AIDS status, the Adolescent and Young Adult Health and Wellness Unit is proposing a “Know Weh Yuh Stand” initiative to observe International Youth Day next Tuesday.

According to head of the Unit, Dr Marcia Palto, the initiative, which is arguably the first to be undertaken in Guyana, will see youths between the age of 15 and 24 being offered free counselling and testing services at all of the youth-friendly clinics countrywide.

She said that the programme comes as part of the ministry’s aim to get people tested early in order to provide assistance where it is needed.

And, according to her, several surveys conducted by the ministry are revealing more young people are becoming infected with the deadly virus.

Dr Palto said that even maternal and child health statistics have been able to establish that young women, some even below the age of 15, are becoming pregnant.

The Youth Day initiative, as a result, will focus on counselling youths to practice safe sex, teaching them how to use a condom safely.

Dr Palto noted that the intention is to empower young people to make positive choices.

The venture is also intended to reinforce the notion that HIV is not a disease that can be simply diagnosed from how an individual looks or feels.

As such, the designated testing day can serve to ease the minds of those who may think that they are infected, or direct the infected to the relevant assistance.

The aim of having persons knowing their status, according to Dr Palto, is to help them know what steps to take to keep themselves and others healthy and protected.

She said that, through being tested, the young people will be able to acquire more knowledge about HIV/AIDS, which they in turn can use to educate others.

Young people, on Tuesday, will visit youth friendly clinics at the Dorothy Bailey Health Centre on South Road, Herstelling, Grove, Beterverwagting, Lusignan, Rosignol, Amelia’s Ward and the Skeldon Health, No. 64, Christianburg, Fyrish, Ituni and the Vivianne Parris Health Centres.

The Adolescent and Young Adult Health and Wellness Unit has been engaging a number of programmes, targeting young people, which are aimed at encouraging young people to be responsible for themselves and to embrace healthy lifestyles.

For this reason, Dr Palto said, several school health clubs have been created countrywide.
And, according to her, the clubs have been successful in spreading the word on the importance of protecting one’s health.

And, in order to boost the practice of good health care and to widen the knowledge base of youth, the doctor related, a health camp will be held later this month for members of the clubs.

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