The win marks a remarkable political comeback for former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, who was Jamaica’s first female leader during her year-and-a-half-long first stint in office that ended in 2007. The 66-year-old known affectionately as “Sista P” reached out to Jamaicans as a champion of the poor with a popular touch.

DID THE G2K HELP THE JAMAICA LABOUR PARTY TO LOSE THE ELECTION?

Andrew Holness was the JLP, and the JLP was Andrew Holness. He seemed to have gone overboard with the me, myself and I syndrome. The JLP erred big time.

In spite of this great error, the JLP allowed itself to be hijacked by its young professional arm, G2K. How in heavens name could the parent body allow this group to act as immature juveniles in consistently attacking the leader of the PNP, Mrs Portia Simpson Miller

In a country where it is not uncommon for women to be abused, G2K went out of its way in attacking Mrs Simpson Miller. The group tried its best to demean her. Its campaign was not so much to attack the PNP but to bring Mrs Simpson Miller to the lowest denominator.

It also appeared as if some young people were coached to phone the call-in programmes to help in the attack. It was pathetic to listen to them. Was the JLP bereft of ideas to attack the People’s National Party? By its action G2K gives the impression that it is dominated by a group of male chauvinists.

It does not matter how one might feel about her, but Mrs Simpson Miller is a living example to the average Jamaican. A lady coming from the ‘bowels of the poor’, as she puts it, eventually rose to occupy the high office of prime minister. In any other country, a similar story of a poor woman from a remote district of Wood Hall who, through dint of hard work and determination, rose to become the first woman prime minister should be able to make the best sellers list.

Yet, so much disrespect has been shown to her by her opponents. Quite unnecessary indeed. There were so many other things in her party for the JLP to build its campaign around. The Jamaican people let the JLP pay dearly for its folly.

G2K was Portia’s best asset in the election campaign. If the group’s ears were close to the ground it would have realised the resentment of the ordinary people to its tactics of concentrating its attack on her.

G2K seemed to have forgotten that she continues to enjoy enormous support throughout the country and is one of the most popular politicians around today. How then did G2K not take that into consideration? The constant attacks on her might have resonated well with the middle class, but she certainly had the last laugh with the working class. The JLP will now remember how not to run an election campaign.

The advertising blitz was massive. The JLP dominated the airwaves and the television screens. But with all these massive crowds and the hundreds of millions spent, the JLP lost the election and the highly touted post-Independence leader ‘Prince Andrew’ became the second shortest serving prime minister after Sir Donald Sangster.

The JLP, I imagine, will begin immediately to analyse all the finer details and try to figure out how it lost this election, when earlier, people like G2K president Delano Seiveright and some others in the hierarchy predicted a landslide victory. Others were sober enough to suggest that the party would secure a comfortable victory

The win marks a remarkable political comeback for former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, who was Jamaica’s first female leader during her year-and-a-half-long first stint in office that ended in 2007. The 66-year-old known affectionately as “Sista P” reached out to Jamaicans as a champion of the poor with a popular touch.

DID THE G2K HELP THE JAMAICA LABOUR PARTY TO LOSE THE ELECTION?

Andrew Holness was the JLP, and the JLP was Andrew Holness. He seemed to have gone overboard with the me, myself and I syndrome. The JLP erred big time.

In spite of this great error, the JLP allowed itself to be hijacked by its young professional arm, G2K. How in heavens name could the parent body allow this group to act as immature juveniles in consistently attacking the leader of the PNP, Mrs Portia Simpson Miller

In a country where it is not uncommon for women to be abused, G2K went out of its way in attacking Mrs Simpson Miller. The group tried its best to demean her. Its campaign was not so much to attack the PNP but to bring Mrs Simpson Miller to the lowest denominator. 

It also appeared as if some young people were coached to phone the call-in programmes to help in the attack. It was pathetic to listen to them. Was the JLP bereft of ideas to attack the People’s National Party? By its action G2K gives the impression that it is dominated by a group of male chauvinists.

It does not matter how one might feel about her, but Mrs Simpson Miller is a living example to the average Jamaican. A lady coming from the ‘bowels of the poor’, as she puts it, eventually rose to occupy the high office of prime minister. In any other country, a similar story of a poor woman from a remote district of Wood Hall who, through dint of hard work and determination, rose to become the first woman prime minister should be able to make the best sellers list.

Yet, so much disrespect has been shown to her by her opponents. Quite unnecessary indeed. There were so many other things in her party for the JLP to build its campaign around. The Jamaican people let the JLP pay dearly for its folly.

G2K was Portia’s best asset in the election campaign. If the group’s ears were close to the ground it would have realised the resentment of the ordinary people to its tactics of concentrating its attack on her.

G2K seemed to have forgotten that she continues to enjoy enormous support throughout the country and is one of the most popular politicians around today. How then did G2K not take that into consideration? The constant attacks on her might have resonated well with the middle class, but she certainly had the last laugh with the working class. The JLP will now remember how not to run an election campaign.

The advertising blitz was massive. The JLP dominated the airwaves and the television screens. But with all these massive crowds and the hundreds of millions spent, the JLP lost the election and the highly touted post-Independence leader ‘Prince Andrew’ became the second shortest serving prime minister after Sir Donald Sangster.

The JLP, I imagine, will begin immediately to analyse all the finer details and try to figure out how it lost this election, when earlier, people like G2K president Delano Seiveright and some others in the hierarchy predicted a landslide victory. Others were sober enough to suggest that the party would secure a comfortable victory

                                                                                                                                                              

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed female medical problems in the US and UK. This is a devastating disease that may cost life, if diagnosed late. Hence, steps are taken by the health department to spread awareness about the disease regarding its risk factors, symptoms, staging, treatments available and the prognosis of the treatments.

October is celebrated as the international breast cancer awareness month and the whole month is dedicated to various activities supporting the motive of the spreading awareness. Pink is the breast cancer awareness color and anyone wearing pink ribbon during the month of October, is identified as a moral supporter for the breast cancer campaign and also extending moral support to the women suffering this devastating disease.

AstraZeneca initiated the celebrations of October as a breast cancer awareness month in the year 1985, who are manufacturers of breast cancer medications. The use of pink ribbon as a color for the breast cancer awareness began in the year 1991.

First use of pink ribbons for spreading awareness about breast cancer began during the New York City race conducted for fund raising for the breast cancer survivors. Susan G. Komen Foundation, working for the breast cancer awareness, handed pink-ribbons to all the participants of the race.

Although, it is rare in men but they do fall prey to this disease. A pink and blue color represents moral support for men suffering from this condition and also spreading awareness that the disease may affect men. The use of a pink and blue ribbon is since 1996.

Various activities are conducted throughout the month of October to recognize and understand the needs and experiences of the people suffering from this disease. Activities may include free screening tests to diagnose the disease. Free screenings helps it to be more easy and accessible to all income groups.

Information and support services during breast cancer awareness month may also be held to provide updates about breakthrough treatment techniques and prognosis of the disease. Also, such services help the patients and family members overcome anxiety and help them to boost the ability to cope with the disease.

The worst thing about a having a mammogram is finding breast cancer. The best thing about having a mammogram is finding breast cancer. You can’t cure a disease you don’t know you have!

Mammography

Mammography
Intervention
Mammography
ICD-10-PCS	BH0
ICD-9-CM	87.37
MeSH	D008327
OPS-301 code:	3-10

Mammography is the process of using low-energy-X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast and is used as a diagnostic and a screening tool. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses and/or microcalcifications. Most doctors believe that mammography reduces deaths from breast cancer, although a minority do not.

In many countries routine mammography of older women is encouraged as a screening method to diagnose early breast cancer. In 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that women with no risk factors have screening mammographies every 2 years between age 50 and 74. They found that the information was insufficient to recommend for or against screening between age 40 and 49 or above age 74. Altogether clinical trials have found a relative reduction in breast cancer mortality of 20%. Some doctors believe that mammographies do not reduce deaths from breast cancer, or at least that the evidence does not demonstrate it.

Like all x-rays, mammograms use doses of ionizing radiation to create images. Radiologists then analyze the image for any abnormal findings. It is normal to use lower energy X-rays (typically Mo-K) than those used for radiography of bones.

At this time, mammography along with physical breast examination is the modality of choice for screening for early breast cancer. Ultrasound, ductography, positron emission mammography (PEM), and magnetic resonance imaging are adjuncts to mammography. Ultrasound is typically used for further evaluation of masses found on mammography or palpable masses not seen on mammograms. Ductograms are still used in some institutions for evaluation of bloody nipple discharge when the mammogram is non-diagnostic. MRI can be useful for further evaluation of questionable findings as well as for screening pre-surgical evaluation in patients with known breast cancer to detect any additional lesions that might change the surgical approach, for instance from breast-conserving lumpectomy to mastectomy. New procedures, not yet approved for use in the general public, including breast tomosynthesis may offer benefits in years to come.

Breast self-examination (BSE) was once promoted as a means of finding cancer at a more curable stage, however, it has been shown to be ineffective, and is no longer routinely recommended by health authorities for general use. Awareness of breast health and familiarity with one’s own body is typically promoted instead of self-exams.

Mammography has a false-negative (missed cancer) rate of at least 10 percent. This is partly due to dense tissues obscuring the cancer and the fact that the appearance of cancer on mammograms has a large overlap with the appearance of normal tissues.

STORY OF BREAST  CANCER 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been observed in October for the past 25 years and this year’s observance will mean something completely different for me. On Sept. 1, my mother received the news that a breast biopsy she had undergone on Aug. 29 showed malignancy. It was later confirmed the type of cancer she has is known as Triple Negative Breast Cancer – an aggressive form of cancer that cannot be treated in the way that other breast cancers are treated.

Mom underwent a lumpectomy on Sept. 20 and a few days later was given the good news that the cancer had not spread into her lymph nodes and was still contained in the area where the tumor had been. On the same day of her surgery, we got word that the genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes was negative in Mom. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are mutated gene that have been linked to ovarian and breast cancer.

At this point, Mom has not started her chemotherapy but will be starting soon. She has been looking at hats and scarves to buy in anticipation of losing her hair.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has always been something I have paid attention to because my maternal grandmother had breast cancer with a radical mastectomy 35 years ago. I have long known the risk for the disease was there in my mother and in myself, but it was removed from my everyday life — until now.

I will be observing and promoting awareness about breast cancer throughout the month of October because now there is a real face to the disease. As my mother begins this journey and I tag along for the ride, I am going to watch her fight it and I am going to cheer her on. Because she is going to win this battle.

FOR INFORMATION ON BREST CANCER:

JAMAICA CANCER SOCIETY http://jamaicacancersociety.org/

TRINIDAD CANCER SOCIETY http://ttcancersociety.org/

AMERICA CANCER SOCIETY http://www.cancer.org/

BREAST CANCER IN THE CARIBBEAN 

As recently as two decades ago breast cancer was not a significant public health concern in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). However, mortality rates from breast cancer have been increasing for at least 40 years in most LAC countries. Socioeconomic development and consequent changes in reproductive behaviors over the past 50 years are thought to have contributed to the increased risk of breast cancer. Socioeconomic development has also increased women’s health awareness and therefore the demand for quality services. In industrialized countries, screening and widely available, high-quality treatment protocols are being implemented as the main strategy for breast cancer control. Studies show that out of three available screening methods (mammography, clinical breast examination, and breast self-examination), only mammography for women 50-69 years of age has been effective at reducing mortality, and has done so by an estimated 23%. While there is much controversy about the benefits and cost-effectiveness of mammography screening for women aged 40-49, some countries, including Australia, the United States of America, and four European nations, recommend that physicians assess the need for it on an individual basis. A survey that we conducted of LAC countries shows that most of their breast cancer screening policies are not justified by available scientific evidence. Moreover, as seen by relatively high mortality/incidence ratios, breast cancer cases are not being adequately managed in many LAC countries. Before further developing screening programs, these countries need to evaluate the feasibility of designing and implementing appropriate treatment guidelines and providing wide access to diagnostic and treatment services. Given the relevance of breast cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean today, it is crucial that both women and health care providers have access to up-to-date information on which to base their decisions

University of Miami researchers are to investigate the role of genetics in trying to learn why Caribbean women appear to be at high risk of inheriting an aggressive form of breast cancer. Evidence from research with oncologists in the Bahamas suggests that women with the inherited form of breast cancer there were younger than the women in the United States. “The gene is passed along from mother to daughter, or father to daughter, or father to son. It can come from both sides. It doesn’t just come from your mom. Women who have an inherited form of breast cancer have a younger age of onset of their breast cancer.

The mutations are BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, found in 23 per cent of women with breast cancer in the Bahamas. Among American women, the aggressive cancer genes account for only three per cent to five per cent.

Mutations of these genes are linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Percentage of breast cancer patients diagnosed with metastatic disease (cancer that had spread):

White – 7%
Indian – 11%
Pakistani – 17%
Bangladeshi – 13% (not statistically significant because there were so few Bangladeshi women in this sample)
Black Caribbean – 11%
Black African – 15%
Chinese – 10%

What is Breast Cancer ?

Second opinions are strongly recommended before any woman makes the decision to have this surgery. The American Cancer Society Board of Directors has stated that “only very strong clinical and/or pathologic indications warrant doing this type of “preventive operation.” Nonetheless, after careful consideration, this might be the right choice for some women.

Politician and politics  is one of the most important thing to a politically Independence country. No difference with Jamaica, Jamaican gain Political Independence form Great Britain in 1962 . Jamaica as seen a mass growth from then but not much to a First World status as expected to be by the Politician of the time and other British colony.  Jamaican strongly believes in a democratic process so they been voting from   1945 Under the Universal suffrage Rights for all adult males and females to vote.

From the 1980s Jamaica Politics take a down hill turn plague with Corruption and Crime  

GOING into 1980, the Jamaican Prime Minister, Michael Manley was a man under pressure. It was almost certain that his People’s National Party (PNP) would be forced to call early general election that year.

That they did, and on October 30, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) led by Edward Seaga, whipped the PNP 51 seats to nine, the biggest margin of victory in elections since Jamaica gained Independence from Great Britain in 1962.

Manley’s turbulent eight-year tenure as the country’s fourth Prime Minister had ended.

There were not only celebrations among the country’s middle-class which had feared a Communist takeover due to Manley’s socialist leanings. In 1974, Manley declared that his administration would pursue a policy of Democratic Socialism. He consistently denied accusations that he would go Communist. The poor, many of whom benefited from the PNP’s grassroots programmes, also voted against Manley who came to power in late 1972 with a mandate to elevate the country’s impoverished masses.

One day after the elections, D.K. Duncan, the PNP’s general secretary, claimed that the polls were marred by widespread fraud. He accused members of the security forces, chairman of the Electoral Advisory Committee, Professor Gladstone Mills and Director of Elections, Carl Dundas, of not doing enough to stop the alleged vote tampering.

“They should look into their hearts and say whether justice has been applied in this election by an independent, impartial group of men of integrity,” Dr. Duncan said. “I warn Edward Seaga, the corrupt members of the judiciary and the police force, that they can attack the blood, the life and the body. But they cannot attack the idea.”

The PNP executive’s tirade summed up the tension in Jamaica leading into elections which were announced by Manley in Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay, on October 5.

A massive crowd turned up at Sam Sharpe Square that evening. It inspired a fiery Manley to predict victory with his now famous declaration that “50,000 strong can’t be wrong!”

In February, the Prime Minister said that elections would be held later in the year. In the months that followed, the political hostility that sparked inner-city violence throughout the 1970s, spilled over into 1980.

In April, five persons were killed in what became known as the Gold Street Massacre, in Central Kingston. That month, the Hannah Town Police Station in West Kingston was attacked by thugs; two persons, including a policeman, were killed.

Things were just as unstable on the labour front. In January, Manley announced that 11,000 public sector jobs would have to be cut to facilitate the $50 million budget. Days after that statement, 300 Jamaica Public Service workers went on strike, leaving 70 per cent of the country without electricity.

Manley blamed the JLP for the instability.

“We have no reason for making our economic situation worse,” he said in Barbados in March. “They have a record of using economic destabilisation.”

Even though Manley remained combative, his Government was falling apart. Late into the second term, senior members David Coore and Vivian Blake had resigned. Two weeks after his speech in Barbados, Finance Minister Eric Bell also called it a day.

Despite the unfavourable signs, Colin Campbell who became the PM’s press secretary in early 1980, said it was a confident Manley who went on the campaign trail. 

Kenneth Baugh, who contested the North West St. James seat against Howard Cooke, recalled that the mood in the JLP camp was reflected in their campaign slogan, ‘Deliverance Is Near’.

“We had very high motivation. At the start of 1980, the polls showed us in the lead and by the middle of the year we had gone into heavy campaigning,” he said.

Just before Manley announced the election date, pollster and University of the West Indies lecturer Carl Stone, predicted in The Gleaner that the JLP would win as many as 40 seats.

Going into election day, there were several tragic and eventful incidents:

Manley’s motorcade was fired on in May Pen.

Roy McGann, the PNP’s candidate for East Rural St. Andrew, and his bodyguard, acting corporal Errol White, were killed in Gordon Town.

Seven persons were killed by gunmen on National Heroes Day in Kingston. Two children were killed in Top Hill, St. Elizabeth where JLP and PNP factions clashed.

Gunfire disrupted a PNP rally in Spanish Town.

Twelve members of the Workers Party of Jamaica, including Lambert

Brown, were arrested in Lucea, Hanover for possession of bombs.

On election day, the results were devastating for Manley and the PNP. Not only did the JLP return to power in a landslide, several big names in the former administration lost their seats in parliament, including P.J.

Patterson, Howard Cooke and Arnold Bertram.

The JLP victory was welcomed islandwide, with many persons participating in day-long celebrations. Many schools and business places remained closed.

Manley, who came to power as champion of the poor, was a beaten man. In his concession speech, he said his decision to stand by Cuba and other Third World countries not popular with the United States Government, proved his Government’s downfall.

“Maybe what I did wrong was to challenge the power of the western economic structure … And for this I will remain unrepentant and unreconstructed,” he said.

Two days after the election, Edward Seaga was sworn in as Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister. Within days, he expelled the Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica, Ulises Estrada, severed ties with that country and attempted to rebuild Jamaica’s ties with the U.S. After three years in office, he too would feel the pressure of unpopularity.

So there is crime and Corruption In Jamaica Politics from day but in current days people are finally are fed up with the way how the Politician conduct themselves in Parliament and on the streets. Jamaicans are a bit tired of the promises and how the country funds are being spent. I can fairly blame Crime in Jamaica on the Politician and there strive for power.

Politics of Jamaica

The Politics of Jamaica takes place in a framework of a representative parliamentary democratic monarchy. The 1962 Constitution established a parliamentary system based on the United Kingdom model. As chief of state, Queen Elizabeth II appoints a governor general, on the advice of the prime minister, as her representative in Jamaica. The governor general’s role is largely ceremonial. Executive power is vested in the cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. Jamaica is an independent country and Commonwealth Realm. It is a parliamentary democracy whose political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. Jamaica’s current Constitution was drafted in 1962 by a bipartisan joint committee of the Jamaican legislature. It came into force with the Jamaica Independence Act, 1962 of the United Kingdom Parliament, which gave Jamaica political independence. Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Jurisprudence is based on English common law.

Executive branch

The 1962 Constitution established a parliamentary system based on the United Kingdom model. As chief of state, Queen Elizabeth II appoints a governor general, on the advice of the prime minister, as her representative in Jamaica. The governor general’s role is largely ceremonial. Executive power is vested in the Queen, but exercised mostly by the cabinet, led by the Prime Minister.

Legislative branch

Parliament is composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives. Thirteen Senators are nominated on the advice of the prime minister and eight on the advice of the leader of the opposition; as a two-thirds majority of both chambers is needed for major constitutional amendments, this provides a consensus requirement for significant change. General elections must be held within five years of the forming of a new government. The prime minister may ask the governor general to call elections sooner, however. The Senate may submit bills, and it also reviews legislation submitted by the House. It may not delay budget bills for more than one month or other bills for more than seven months. The prime minister and the Cabinet are selected from the Parliament. No fewer than two nor more than four members of the Cabinet must be selected from the Senate.

Political parties and elections

Judicial branch

The judiciary also is modeled on the UK system. The Court of Appeal is the highest appellate court in Jamaica. Under certain circumstances, cases may be appealed to the United Kingdom’s Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Jamaica’s parishes have elected councils that exercise limited powers of local government.

Firearms offenses, including possession of unlicensed guns and ammunition, are tried before a dedicated Gun Court established in 1974. The Gun Court hears cases in camera and practices jury trial only for cases of treason or murder. All other cases are tried by resident magistrates or justices of the Supreme Court of Jamaica.

Administrative divisions

Jamaica is divided in 14 parishes: Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland.

PEOPLE BE WISE DON”T GET TRICK BY POLITICIAN AND THEIR FALSE PROMISES.

Human rights groups say that homosexuality is punishable by law in over 85  countries, however the Caribbean Homosexuality is not a Crime but the Act of  Buggery is.  The tolerances level in the Caribbean toward homosexuality is next to none. It is part of Caribbean culture to riducule homosexuals at best and beat them to death (Jamaica) at worst, which is rank as one of the Most Homophobic Country in the Western world and one of the Most populated country with Homosexuals in the Caribbean.  Jamaica, to a large extent, has become a poster child these past few years for what many see as a wave of anti-gay sentiment throughout the Caribbean. Experts cite religious beliefs and a homophobic reggae culture as contributing factors in widespread discrimination and violence toward LGBT people throughout the region.   (Notice the widespread acceptance and popularity of music artists, like Martnique singer Lieutenant, who once told a crowd “I kill the fags,” or Guadeloupean pop singer Admiral T, who released a song a few years ago called “Makoumé,” which means homosexual in Creole. Among the more troubling parts of the song, the lyrics call for fans to burn homosexuals like cigarette butts. There’s also Jamaican singer Buju Banton, “Boom bye bye in ah b—- boy head/Rude boy nah promote dem nasty man/Dem ha fi dead” Banton’s controversial homophobic lyrics .

A national survey carried out in Jamaica by the University of the West Indies in 2010 found that 89 percent of respondents were homophobic. The study polled 1,007 adults from 231 communities in the island nation. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago ban relations between same-sex couples, especially men. Penalties for this crime vary between 10 and 50 years, depending on the laws of each country. Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and Saint Lucia only punish male homosexuality while allowing, or simply making no pronouncement on, lesbianism. Since 1976, Trinidad and Tobago has even forbidden homosexual persons from entering its territory.

Institutionalised homophobia is also a health problem. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) indicates that penalisation of homosexuality in the Caribbean is one of the main obstacles to controlling the epidemic that affects some 240,000 people in the Greater and Lesser Antilles.

Against that backdrop, the few groups and individuals fighting for social acceptance of sexual diversity come up against a high degree of homophobia and the risk of hate crimes. They can even be accused of illegality, even though the constitution defends the universal right to free association.

In socialist Cuba, which lived through several decades of institutionalised homophobia, outstanding efforts have been made by institutions and civil society sectors to raise public awareness in favour of the rights of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity

 HOMOSEXUALITY BLAME FOR INCREASING AIDS PROBLEM IN THE CARIBBEAN 

The 2008 UNAIDS report indicates that the growing incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean is being fuelled by men having sex with men. According to statistics from UNAIDS there are currently an estimated 230, 000 personsliving with HIV in the Caribbean. Some sources have it as high as 270, 000. Interestingly three quarters of this number, that is approximately 173, 000 are in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The report indicates that as much as one of every eight HIV infection cases in the Caribbean region resulted from unprotected sex between men, especially in Cuba and Dominica. Statistics revealed that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with other men in Jamaica was between 25 to 30 percent, while it was 20 percent in Trinidad & Tobago. This information came from a Caribbean Commission on Health & Development 2005 document. Other Factors Impacting HIV Epidemic in the Region

In addition to unprotected sex among men, the HIV rate is being driven by poverty, gender and unemployment. The associated stigmas of the disease are also preventing many persons from finding out and or revealing their status because of discrimination.

Recently there was a major debate in Jamaica concerning whether or not to decriminalize prostitution in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Professor Affette McCaw-Binns of the University of the West Indies is one voice in the wilderness calling for the legalization of prostitution to stem the spread of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS.

There are a number of groups both here in Trinidad and regionally that are looking at having the buggery laws decriminalised which is different from having homosexuality legalised but would basically ensure that you cannot get arrested for buggery.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Homosexuality

Homosexuality is romantic and/or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to “an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions” primarily or exclusively to people of the same sex; “it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them.

Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, within the heterosexual-homosexual continuum (withasexuality sometimes considered the fourth). The consensus of the behavioral and social sciences as well as the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality is a normal and positive variation in human sexual orientation, although some religious sects and “ex-gay” organizations hold the view that homosexual activity is a sinful or dysfunctional behavior. Contrary to mainstream scientific understanding, these sects and organizations also frequently characterize it as a “choice”.

The most common terms for homosexual people are lesbian for women and gay for men, though gay is also used to refer generally to homosexual men and women. The number of people who identify as gay or lesbian—and the proportion of people who have same-sex sexual experiences—are difficult for researchers to estimate reliably for a variety of reasons.In the modern West, according to major studies, 2% to 13% of the population is homosexual or has had some form of same-sex sexual contact within his or her lifetime. A 2006 study suggested that 20% of the population anonymously reported some homosexual feelings, although relatively few participants in the study identified themselves as homosexual.  Homosexual behavior is also widely observed in animals.

Many gay and lesbian people are in committed same-sex relationships, though only recently have census forms and political conditions facilitated their visibility and enumeration. These relationships are equivalent to heterosexual relationships in essential psychological respects.  Homosexual relationships and acts have been admired, as well as condemned, throughout recorded history, depending on the form they took and the culture in which they occurred. Since the end of the 19th century, there has been a movement towards increased visibility, recognition and legal rights for homosexual people, including the rights to marriage and civil unions,adoption and parenting, employment, military service, and equal access to health care.

THE VIEWS IN THE POST OF NAKED TRUTH ARE NOT THE VIEWS OF NAKED TRUTH CARIBBEAN BUT  OF RESEARCH DONE.

Just like any other Mother  In Jamaica Popular Television and Radio Personnel Maia Chung faces her own bit of Challenges that comes with the responsibilities of  being a parent. In Maia Chung case it was Autism, at first Maia Chung  had been in denial that her third to last son Quinn was autistic.  although she  had her suspicions when he was a few months old and began to show  the characteristic of the autistic child. During Maia  first pregnancy she was an avid reader on child rearing  so, she was aware of the condition and  symptoms of an autistic child, but kept quiet about it until Quinn turned three years old and still would not speak.

Tests at this age revealed that he was indeed autistic. Maia Chung and husband Wykham Smith  quickly set aside feelings of sadness and set about searching for therapy and schools. The harsh realty hit them and they just have to accept and support their son Quinn but this wasn’t easy when  costs of  speech therapy at the time was  $4,000 JMD an hour. They were also distressed to find out that there was no public school with teachers trained to tutor autistic children.

That’s  when Maia and Wykham stumble upon Promise Learning Centre in Kingston, where much of the educational programme was geared to provide a suitable learning experience for the autistic child.

The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation is a not-for-profit organization in Jamaica which was formed to help people affected by autism and other disabilities as well as to support entities that help these persons function .

The Foundation has collected about 1.5 million dollars in funds and resources to assist with helping existing treatment facilities, schools and families.

The Autism and Disabilities Foundation has given financial support to The Promise Learning Centre, an academic institution in operation for 15 years in Jamaica which specialises in the treatment of Autism and other learning disabilities.

The Foundation also helps persons who live outside the capital city Kingston where treatment facilities are concentrated to travel to Kingston access the treatments there, and seeks to have the government to offer medical treatment programmes in the parishes where there is now no formal or too basic types of medical care for these persons.

She has written her first book, Maia’s Take,with the intention of raising funds for the foundation. She invites other Jamaicans to join her in making the island a kinder place for the disabled, and those affected by autism, in particular.

Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood.It is one of three recognized disorders in the autism spectrum (ASDs), the other two being Asperger syndrome, which lacks delays in cognitive development and language, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (commonly abbreviated as PDD-NOS), which is diagnosed when the full set of criteria for autism or Asperger syndrome are not met.

Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by rare mutations, or by rare combinations of common genetic variants. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Controversies surround other proposed environmental causes, such as heavy metals, pesticides or childhood vaccines; the vaccine hypotheses are biologically implausible and lack convincing scientific evidence. The prevalence of autism is about 1–2 per 1,000 people worldwide; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports approximately 9 per 1,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with ASD.The number of people diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.

Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child’s life. The signs usually develop gradually, but some autistic children first develop more normally and then regress. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help autistic children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. Although there is no known cure, there have been reported cases of children who recovered. Not many children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, though some become successful.  An autistic culture has developed, with some individuals seeking a cure and others believing autism should be accepted as a difference and not treated as a disorder.

Myths

• Autistic children can’t be helped
• Cold or distant parenting causes autism
• Autistic children do not smile or show affection

For more Information contact Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation

http://www.mcautismfoundation.org/

or on Facebook.com @ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000550223587

Email Maia Chung: mcautismfoundation@mail.com.