USAID Official Addresses HIV Prevention in Jamaica

Karen Hilliard, the head of USAID in Jamaica, said USAID intends to give Jamaica a total of $10.7 million this year for HIV/AIDS prevention programs and also discussed research findings that showed coerced sex with adults, particularly middle-aged men, is a problem for adolescents, the Jamaica Observer reports. Hilliard said, "I think it's fine to target adolescents with messages that they should postpone their sexual activities, but if they are not the ones in the driver's seat I tend to think our messages are a little misdirected," she said. "We are going to be working with the Ministry of Health to try to find more ways to get people to open up to the idea of being more sexually responsible," Hilliard said. "Rather than preaching to the victims of the situation, we ought to be talking a little more openly and honestly to people of all ages, to both genders, about what they need to do to protect themselves" (Dunkley, 2/2).

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