To live normal lives, Jamaicans living with the HIV virus must stick to their medication, says Regional Manager, Kingston, with the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), Christina Gordon.

Noting that the illness is no longer a death sentence, Gordon said it is very important that persons get tested to know their HIV status, and if they are positive, they must adhere to medication as prescribed by a doctor, which will allow them to function normally.

Addressing a training and development workshop for media professionals on November 28 at the Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica in Runaway Bay, St Ann, she said one’s HIV status cannot be known by how he or she looks, so doing an actual test is very important.

Gordon said the test is simple, lasting for about 15 to 20 minutes, after which the person will know the actual result. She noted that the JASL offers myriad services that take a person from a point of diagnosis to viral suppression, adding that the group works through the very difficult psychosocial challenges for people to get to the point of suppression.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “viral suppression is critical to improve health, prevent sexual transmission, and reduce perinatal transmission”.

“People living with HIV who are diagnosed and treated early, and take their medication as prescribed, can expect to have the same health and life expectancy as their HIV-negative counterparts,” the WHO said.

Miss Gordon pointed out that once persons are confirmed as infected with the virus, they have access to free medication, funded by the Government, and they should use the “systems that are available in treatment sites”.

She emphasised that the general public should be sensitised with the facts to eliminate discrimination and stigma in society. The JASL supports persons with medical services by doctors and nurses, skills training, legal services, empowerment support for financial stability, educational grants, and counselling through confidential settings.

The organisation has a mission to be a world-class leader, creating and utilising best practices in the delivery of services to persons living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in Jamaica and to participate in the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS in Jamaica, in an enabling environment.