HIV: The Forgotten Disease Returns
Dr. Craig Stoutt warns of a recent rise in HIV cases in the British Virgin Islands and calls for renewed public-health action. He urges regular testing, free condom access, post- and pre-exposure prophylaxis, destigmatisation and school-based sex education to prevent further spread.
In a recent commentary, Consultant Anaesthesiologist and Intensivist Dr. Craig Stoutt warns that HIV — a disease many in the Territory have pushed to the back burner — is resurfacing and requires urgent attention. Stoutt recalls the early years of the epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s, when unexplained illness and death revealed a new retrovirus attacking the immune system.
Progress since then — notably effective antiretroviral therapies that can suppress viral load to undetectable levels — transformed HIV from a near‑certain killer into a long‑term, manageable condition for many. The COVID‑19 pandemic, he says, distracted public health attention and allowed prevention and education efforts around HIV to lapse.
Stoutt reports a concerning uptick in diagnoses, including several recent cases among his own patients. He stresses that HIV does not have a single look or a single risk profile: it can affect anyone, of any age, and is transmitted by unprotected sexual contact and other routes. Because the virus can be silent for years, routine testing is crucial.
Stoutt urges at least yearly HIV testing for residents and calls for practical prevention measures: make condoms freely available in bars, clinics and other public venues; ensure prompt access to post‑exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for recent exposures; and expand access to pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people at ongoing risk.
He also highlights the importance of antiretroviral treatment for those who are positive — both to protect the individual’s health and to reduce viral load to undetectable levels, at which point transmission risk is effectively nil (Undetectable = Untransmittable). Beyond clinical steps, the commentary stresses tackling stigma.
Open conversations about sexual health, removing shame from testing and diagnosis, and community‑based support services are essential to encourage people to seek care early. Stoutt advocates for comprehensive sex education in primary and secondary schools as a long‑term strategy to change attitudes and behaviours.
For BVI residents, the message is clear: HIV is not gone. Renewed public‑health effort, ready access to prevention and treatment, and honest community dialogue can prevent further spread and protect lives.
Primary source: BVI News