by Laurie Feldman

Created on: March 04, 2008

"You're going to the Caribbean!" the radio announcer shouts to the lucky caller on the other end of the line, who is audibly ecstatic.

In the "vacation a day giveaway" that took place this past winter, on air, in Philadelphia, Pa; the coveted prize was a trip to the Caribbean. Local listeners were enticed by the prospect of escaping the winter weather. In the States, the Caribbean is synonymous with paradise. U.S. tourists are drawn to the pristine beaches, beautiful, blue skies, and tropical temperatures that this region has to offer.

As Antigone Barton, a staff writer for the Palm Beach Post, points out however, not every sight in the Caribbean is post card perfect. In her three part series entitled, "Heroes of the Epidemic", Barton reports on the growing HIV/AIDS crisis in the Caribbean. Barton describes the "paunchy American men" who troll the streets of Caribbean cities such as Boca Chica, in the Dominican Republic, looking for prostitutes, many whom are infected with HIV, to complete their fantasy vacations with sex. For less than the cost of cab fare to and from the airport (Barton reports prostitutes in this region make, on average, about $50), well-to-do American tourists pray upon destitute island women who have few other options than to debase themselves, in order to survive and provide for their families. Many of these men pay extra to have sex with these women without condoms, and so they bring back home a sexually transmitted disease as a souvenir from their trip.

The HIV/AIDS crisis in the Caribbean is a story featured by the Pulitzer Center for crisis reporting because it is underreported. While massive media campaigns, such as the product RED campaign, have brought widespread attention to the AIDS crisis in Africa, little mention has been made of the crisis in the Caribbean, despite the fact that it is the second most affected area by AIDS in the world.

WHY WORRY?

Many Americans may believe that the AIDS crisis in the Caribbean is something that they really don't need to know that much about. In fact, there are many reasons why Americans should be extremely concerned. As tourists and neighbors, Americans have a responsibility to see to it that this crisis is contained, and that their contributions to this crisis help and do not hinder this cause. Furthermore, as citizens of the global community, Americans are called to be stewards of the earth and its environment. Americans, living in the wealthiest nation in the world, should set the standard

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