Antigua and Barbuda health official warns of rising HIV cases among youth

Antigua and Barbuda’s National AIDS Program Manager, Nurse Delcora Williams, says the country is seeing a troubling rise in HIV infections among young people — a setback she links directly to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Appearing on state television, Williams said the region had been “on the road to getting to zero” before COVID-19 restrictions, clinic closures, and reduced access to care reversed years of progress. The increase, she noted, is most pronounced among late teens aged 15–19 and young adults between 24 and 48.

“This is very worrisome,” she said, stressing that early infection can severely affect a person’s most productive years. Despite persistent stigma, Williams said young people are continuing to engage in unprotected sex and often underestimate their risk. She urged youth to take responsibility for their sexual health and warned against assuming a partner is HIV negative. “If someone says they’re negative, go and get both of you tested,” she said. “Many don’t know their status, and some say what they think you want to hear so they can have unprotected sex.”

Williams encouraged regular HIV testing and appealed to parents to take a more active role in protecting their children. While some teens visit the AIDS Secretariat for condoms, she said many are too embarrassed, leaving parents to “step up” and normalize conversations about sexual health. She urged families to make annual testing part of their routine, noting that free services are available. Although she acknowledged abstinence as the safest option, Williams said it is “not the current reality,” and adults must focus on strategies that keep young people safe.

Calling for legislative reform, Williams said the law is inconsistent — teens can legally consent to sex at 16 but still need an adult to access condoms, HIV tests, and other essential health services. “That must change,” she said, arguing that independent access could help reduce infections and unwanted pregnancies.

Williams also raised concerns about schools that have declined to work with the AIDS Secretariat, even as infections among youth rise. Ahead of Friday’s “Teen Talk” peer-education session at the Multipurpose Centre, she said some schools refused to send students. “If one of their students becomes HIV positive, will their conscience be alive or dead?” she asked.

The AIDS Program Manager dismissed the belief among some young people that HIV is manageable compared to other illnesses. “Some young persons are saying it is better to have HIV than cancer,” she said. “We’re trying to tell them no — it’s not. HIV has no cure. Once it is in your system, it is there for good.” Williams added that without treatment, the virus can progress to AIDS, leading to severe illness and death.