Reversing The Stigma Of HIV In Jamaica: Ida's Story (VIDEO)

Ida Northover is known fondly in her community as "Miss Gene." She is a volunteer community leader battling stigma and discrimination in one of the poorest inner city communities on the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica. Miss Gene's leadership has proven to be a successful model for encouraging tolerance and support for people living with HIV.

Correspondent Lisa Biagiotti, producer Micah Fink and director of photography Gabrielle Weiss report on how Jamaica's national AIDS program is targeting community leaders like Ida Northover to educate people about HIV and change the stigma surrounding the disease.

For more on HIV, AIDS and homophobia in Jamaica, visit The Glass Closet, a multimedia project produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

WATCH:

Read Word Focus for more stories.

Comments

[dukesman2000]

My wonderful country..."Jamaica, the land of wood and water"

[Ventoi]

Plus...

you have to be good in thought, word, deed and SPIRIT.

[Yeah-Me]

I think we could use a lot more "Miss Gene"(s) in the world.

Excellent story.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Discrimination against homosexuals is legally sanctioned in Jamaica.

It's a backward, uncivilised government. A detestable bigoted prime minister Bruce Golding.

So I would expect they are ignorant when it comes to treating HIV/AIDS sufferers humanely too.

[Yeah-Me]

Perhaps their government needs a "Miss Gene"...

[guzmao12345]

Look there are problems in Jamaica as in any nation; Prime Minister Golding's comments on the BBC about not having any homosexuals in his cabinet were regrettable to say the least. But at the risk of sounding naive, I would encourage people to not put too much weight on those comments. They were despicable to be sure, but non-Jamaicans must realize that our prime minister is a politician and he wants to win elections because thats how you get to be and remain prime minister..Unfortunately a large percentage of the Jamaican population continues to take a dim view of homosexuality; it would have been political suicide for Prime Minister Golding, speaking as he was in the aftermath of a very narrow victory(with nearly 1 million votes cast on election day Golding's party won the popular vote by less than 3000 and only had a four seat majority in parliament after his party had spent nearly 19 years in Opposition) to appear to be endorsing homosexuality. In Jamaica like in other parliamentary democracies a party can be voted out of power long before the allotted five year term expires.

[guzmao12345]

You know, if you had listened to the whole video before condemning my country and government as backward and uncivilized, you would realize that a part of the shift in communities like Miss Gene's is due in large part to Prime Min. Golding's continuation of the free drug programme for people infected with HIV/AIDS. Yes this same backward government provides ARVs free of cost to people suffering from AIDS. The government through the Min. of Health and Environment has been at the forefront of the public education campaigns about HIV/AIDS...There are government paid for posters and fliers in every clinic, every community center, every school from basic schools to the University of Technology and the two Jamaican Campuses of the University of the West Indies, explaining how HIV is spread and contracted and how to prevent infection...

[guzmao12345]

The government and the people are not the same, your argument assumes they are, for it has been the government as I have already pointed out thats been very proactive about putting the message out there that discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS is wrong and does not solve anything. The government has been great about putting out the message about how infection happens and how it can be prevented. The government has been good about providing the drugs free of cost to those infected with the disease, many of whom are too poor to afford basic medical care much pay for these expensive..The same videos highlighted the fact that a part of the shift has been because of the drugs made available by the government, because in my society, Jamaican society we are a very visual people, thus when people have access to medication and take them, they not only feel better but more importantly they don't look sick.

You know something PresidentRobertBooth, you have done something wonderful for me. I was telling a friend the other day that I had completely lost faith in the government of Jamaica and that at that time I could not identify one area in which they were doing well. By your intemperate and unfounded attack on my government you have inadvertently showed that one area in which they are dealing something good. Thanks for restoring my faith!!!

[davidwayneosedach]

Jamaica is showing all of us how to better "deal" with the problem of AIDS.

[KarateKid]

How do you reverse the stigma of this disease? That it's now hip to get it? Geez.....

Irie, Jamaica.

[DAWN WATKIS]

My beautiful Jamaica

[ropadopa]

Sadly enough, the "stigma" exists as a direct result of the intense homophobia that exists on the island. Subsequently, AIDS as rampant as it is in the society affecting heterosexuals as well as homosexual and infants equally, it is in large part still seen as a homosexual disease.

Breaking the stigma will require a top down approach starting with the government then the church then the general population

[guzmao12345]

Not everything in Jamaica is about homophobia, though it exists and my opinion colours too much of our lives as Jamaicans. Somethings like this story are about something else. In the case of HIV/AIDS, stigma and social isolation and regrettably sometimes even violence is about a basic fear of being infected . Its about ignorance as the ways a person can be infected. The average Jamaican no longer believes that AIDS is a gay disease, though I would be foolish to believe that there aren't some in my society that still do.

However, when a four year child is denied enrollment in the only basic school(preschool) in a small rural community in St. Thomas parish, it was because the other parents feared exposing their kids to the "risk" of being infected by simply sharing utensils, toys and bedding with the infected child. When a brilliant teen is forced out of one of the Island's most prominent high schools(entry to these schools is extremely difficulty and in some cases students have to score above 98% in the national entrance exams to even be considered for one of these schools) when it was revealed that he contracted HIV in the course of a blood transfusion, homophobia did not enter into the picture...May advice in short is to be careful when we level certain accusations, especially at a whole society of people; believe it or not there are some things in Jamaica that aren't about homophobia!!

[ropadopa]

I guess we can both agree that the overriding factor here is ignorance and that a top down approach will be required to fix it. As one who was raised in a "village" by the "village," I know how compassionate and caring Jamaicans can be. This caring and compassion needs to be re-energized once more.

[ImissBush]

"reversing the stigma"? so now it will b cool 2 hav it?

[Sing Out and Slap Iron]

Your screen name says it all!

[ImissBush]

as do ur non sequiturs

[CalverH]

Bope but it will not be a sin and their life will not be in danger.
Even your dear Bush understood that!

[ImissBush]

thts calld removin
not reversin

but nvm dearie
:)

[Yeah-Me]

Try using the few brain cells you have.. M'kay?

Reversing the stigma is also about demystifying the disease and educationg people about it. Remove the stygma/fear and people become more understanding.

He!!, we could use more of that here in the US... There are still people who believe you can catch HIV through casual contact or from the toilet seat.