As carnival revelers hit the road in style this carnival season, the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) urges patrons to make safe sexual choices.

The carnival season is a time for people to let loose and have fun, however, it is a period when many revelers may indulge in alcohol consumption which may impair their judgements and lead to poor choices.

In an effort to reduce poor sexual choices, a team from JASL will be on the road this carnival season, as part of its FETE SAFE campaign to distribute and equip revellers with condoms and lubricants and other resource materials including the contact information for Jamaica AIDS Support For Life to get tested for HIV or STIs.

“When we look at Valentine’s Day, which we observe as Safer Sex Week when you look at the carnival season, there is a certain period when people are generally out more and engaging with persons more which then leads to alcohol drinking and just having a great time…One of the things that we wanted to do is to find those spaces and inject those messages,” said Jerome Burke, communications consultant at JASL.

The FETE SAFE campaign is a product of JASL’s DWEET SAFE campaign which spreads awareness about the importance of using a condom to reduce the risk of contracting HIV or any sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

“We are not in the business of curtailing people’s bedrooms and telling them not to have sex but we are encouraging people to have safe sex,” Burke added.

Push with PREP

As part of JASL’s HIV prevention strategy, they are also encouraging persons who are at high risk of contracting HIV such as gay men, transgender women, persons living with a partner who is HIV positive and women who are experiencing domestic and sexual abuse to take the antiretroviral medication, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP).

“PREP is over 95 per cent effective, so it reduces their chances of contracting HIV, should they not be able to use a condom during a particular sexual encounter,” said the communication consultant at JASL.

Jamaica AIDS Support For Life is a non-governmental organization that delivers services to persons living with and affected by HIV and AIDS in Jamaica while taking steps to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS in Jamaica.

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