It is dangerous to be gay in Jamaica. There are laws against gay sex in Jamaica today that date back to colonial days. Homosexual behavior can be punished by ten years in prison with hard labor. As a result, even the Jamaican police stigmatize gays and lesbians, creating a condition wherein this already marginalized segment of the population struggles to survive in an atmosphere of justifiable paranoia.

Violence against gays is common. This is a society where the police arrest or detain men suspected of being gay, where the police deny gays assistance and fail to investigate complaints of homophobic attacks, and where they will even instigate incidents of violence themselves against homosexuals. Under these prevailing conditions, gay men are unlikely to admit that they have had sex with other men when they are found to test positive for HIV even when they have summoned the courage to be tested.

There is a national HIV/AIDS program operated by the Jamaican government. Their facts and figures reflect international trends: that HIV transmission is predominantly between heterosexuals and that it is increasing faster among women than among men. The reality is different. There is reluctance among gay men to come forward and contribute to those numbers. The large majority of cases of unknown transmission are found among men.

There are many issues compounding the problem of monitoring and controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS in Jamaica, the most difficult ones of which are cultural. Harassment takes the form of coercion when popular artists and musicians instruct homophobic violence through their poetry and lyrics. Political leaders use anti-gay slogans and rhetoric to promote discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation.

Many Jamaicans believe myths about HIV transmission - that HIV can be transmitted by mosquitoes or by casual contact, or that infection can be cured by having intercourse with a virgin. Pastors and preachers denounce homosexuality as a sin in their sermons. The young attend dance halls where violence and brutality against gays is glorified. The social stigma is so ingrained that even heterosexuals are reluctant to come forward to get tested for fear that they will be branded.

The Jamaican Ministry of Health understands the factors that are driving the AIDS epidemic. Today, over 1.5 percent of the adult population of Jamaica is living with HIV/AIDS. This is three times the rate found in the U.S. population.

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