Feature examines continuing spread of HIV/AIDS in Caribbean.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Corporation (CMC) news agency on 30 November

Bridgetown, Barbados: New research findings released this week by UNAIDS and supported by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (Carec) show that hidden bisexual behaviour among males is contributing to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women. It begs the question, should there be more debate on the decriminalization of homosexuality in the region?

"Paradoxically, men who have sex with men appear to feature prominently in the increasing feminization of the epidemic," noted UNAIDS in its 2002 report on the global epidemic.

It said recent research has shown that a large proportion of men who have sex with men also have sex with women, with the ratio of men affected by the disease narrowed two to one, when compared to women in the Caribbean.

The report further states that while some countries have undertaken prevention programmes geared towards men who have sex with men, "many such initiatives are impeded by discriminatory laws on homosexuality".

For Dr James Hospedales, who heads up the regional initiative at Carec, it is a sensitive issue but one which he says Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders must be prepared to address.