"I ask that you include not only those persons
who are known to be
HIV-positive or those who declare themselves to be.

"I will be bold enough
to ask that for the purposes of your ministry you include those who hitherto have been excluded because their lifestyles have not conformed to what has been considered the societal norm," the University of the West Indies chancellor told national and regional religious leaders gathered for a two-day faith-based forum focusing on Inclusion And Human Sexuality In The Context Of HIV
And AIDS.

"I am arguing for nothing less than a
change in the societal norms and insist that religion is an important shaper of societal norms," he maintained. "Throughout the ages
it has seen itself as a guardian of those norms which it considered essential for the good ordering of society.

"I suggest the adoption of the norm of inclusion
as being fully in keeping with your own theology
. . . I suggest this not
only because of our
shared humanity."


Sex workers

He added that much of the transmission takes place through the groups of men who have sex with men and commercial sex workers. His comments came during the keynote presentation to delegates attending the forum co-ordinated by the Barbados Evangelical Association (BEA) in association with the National HIV/AIDS Commission and UNAIDS. It was held at the Casa Grande Hotel in St Philip.

"There is no doubt that many persons in these groups represent an important transmission link for HIV and the data are clear that focused attention to them is
cost-effective in the reduction of HIV prevalence in the population," he added.

"We bury our heads in the sand if we do not address the sexual practices of these groups of persons. It can mean that the affected group comes into your space, or it can mean that you extend your space
to include them. You know better than I do of the powerful means at your disposal of transmitting information to large audiences and thus extending your space.

"Your countries and the world will be better for it," he added.

The Nation Newspaper, Barbados