Newsday Reporter
THA Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection has reported an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and diabetes cases on the island.
At the launch of a health and wellness campaign titled “Play Mas, Live Well” on September 29 at the Hochoy Charles Administrative Complex in Calder Hall, Dr Faith Brebnor made the startling revelation as she encouraged people to take charge of their health.
“This was a good opportunity to say to the people of Tobago, to the people of TT, that we need us – all of us – to really be healthy head to toe, and head to toe includes those…private parts.”
She said before becoming health secretary, she along with others spoke publicly on HIV and how those affected can access health services.
“We really are seeing increased rates of almost all of the STIs throughout the island,” she said.
Brebnor said the message was clear in the past but people need to be reminded.
“So way back when, when we started talking about HIV and the thing that we were looking at, or the images that we looked at included people looking very sick, and then we went through that wave and then we recognised that there was medication that was available for us and that you did not have to die from HIV but you could live a very long, healthy life with HIV, and then somehow we stopped talking.”
She noted that with these concerning statistics will be addressed in the “Play Mas, Live Well” campaign and accompanying initiatives ahead of the annual Tobago carnival, scheduled for October 24-26.
“We stopped talking about STIs and we stopped talking about all of the other things, about consent and those areas, and we decided that this was a great opportunity because those things, we are seeing the numbers raised again. This was a good opportunity to say to the people of Tobago, to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, that we really need all of us to be healthy.”
THA Health Education facilitator Onika Henry told Newsday the division has an approach to tackling the situation and is going beyond simply telling people to be careful.
She said, “Our campaign is built on the transtheoretical model of change that states: if we can dismantle the stigma and shame that prevents open conversation about sexual health and if we normalise sexual wellness as a routine part of overall health, just like diet and exercise, and if we equip people with practical knowledge, skills, and access to resources then we will see a shift in community norms and individual behaviours, leading to a measurable reduction in STI transmission.”
With the October carnival and revelry looming, Henry said the campaign will focus on coverage, consent and confident.
“Coverage – normalising and facilitating access to condoms as an essential part of carnival preparation. Consent – teaching that clear, enthusiastic consent is the foundation of safe and respectful intimacy. Confidence – building confidence through knowledge and empowering people with the ‘how’ and ‘where’ to get tested.”
Education focus on 18-35 demographic
The campaign, she said, has a primary focus on young adults aged 18-35, as this demographic is often the most sexually active and is disproportionately affected by STIs.
“However, our messaging is intentionally inclusive. We recognise that individuals outside this range are also at risk, and sexual health is a lifelong aspect of well-being. Our materials and events are designed to be accessible and relevant to a broad adult audience.”
Their education campaign, she said, is happening on multiple fronts.
“Direct engagement and education. We are hosting dedicated booths at major carnival events where people can have confidential conversations with peer educators, pick up safer-sex kits, and get information on testing locations. This is where we directly deliver the ‘3 Cs’ message.
She said there will be a social media series titled Now You Know… Play Smart, Play Safe, which uses relatable, non-judgmental language and carnival-themed and fitness-themed analogies to make sexual health information more accessible and shareable.
She said information on public health clinic locations and hours will be made easily accessible.
“We are collaborating with key stakeholders, including carnival bandleaders and event promoters, to help disseminate these messages within their networks, creating a unified front.”
Apart from the spike in STIs, Brebnor said people in their thirties are reporting HbA1c (blood glucose) readings over 14 per cent. Readings below 5.7 per cent are considered normal, while prediabetes is between 5.7 per cent and 6.4 per cent. Diabetes is diagnosed with readings 6.5 per cent or higher.
“We now have significantly younger people who are having long-term (diabetes), because HbA1c is not because you drank something and your sugar is high now, it is because you have had uncontrolled high sugar, in essence, in your system for a long time.
“So this means we have increased numbers of young people (with diabetes), because this used to be what happened to the older people who are treating with these issues.”
The launch ended with the first aerobic burnout session.
This story was originally published with the title “THA health secretary warns of rise in STIs, diabetes” and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.
THA Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection has reported an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and diabetes cases on the island.
At the launch of a health and wellness campaign titled “Play Mas, Live Well” on September 29 at the Hochoy Charles Administrative Complex in Calder Hall, Dr Faith Brebnor made the startling revelation as she encouraged people to take charge of their health.
“This was a good opportunity to say to the people of Tobago, to the people of TT, that we need us – all of us – to really be healthy – head to toe, and head to toe includes those…private parts.”
She said before becoming health secretary, she along with others spoke publicly on the issue of contracting HIV and being able to live a long, healthy life with medication.
“We really are seeing increased rates of almost all of the STIs throughout the island.
“So way back when, when we started talking about HIV and the thing that we were looking at, or the images that we looked at included people looking very sick, and then we went through that wave and then we recognised that there was medication that was available for us and that you did not have to die from HIV but you could live a very long, healthy life with HIV, and then somehow we stopped talking.”
She noted that with these concerning statistics will be addressed in the “Play Mas, Live Well” campaign and accompanying initiatives.
“We stopped talking about STIs and we stopped talking about all of the other things, about consent and those areas, and we decided that this was a great opportunity because those things, we are seeing the numbers raised again. This was a good opportunity to say to the people of Tobago, to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, that we really need all of us to be healthy.”
Using information shared by a health practitioner, she said people in their thirties are reporting HbA1c (blood glucose) readings over 14 per cent. Readings below 5.7 per cent are considered normal, while prediabetes is between 5.7 per cent and 6.4 per cent. Diabetes is diagnosed with readings 6.5 per cent or higher.
“We now have significantly younger people who are having long-term (diabetes), because HbA1c is not because you drank something and your sugar is high now, it is because you have had uncontrolled high sugar, in essence, in your system for a long time.
“So this means we have increased numbers of young people (with diabetes), because this used to be what happened to the older people who are treating with these issues.”
The launch ended with the first aerobic burnout session.
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