Ally Centre urging people to get tested regularly and use condoms

“People have become complacent over the years around HIV and other diseases that are sexually transmitted and you forget about them. But they are there. They are all there.”

Porter said that while the number of people who tested positive for syphilis is small and that it shouldn’t be a cause for panic, it is something that shouldn’t be ignored.

“It is a big deal. Any time a STI or any disease, especially a communicable disease, presents itself in our communities then it is a big deal,” she explained.

“The message is and always

will be have safer sex — use condoms, both male and female. We can’t deliver that message any firmer than we do or always did,” Porter added.

However, it isn’t just the spread of syphilis that should be of concern. Porter confirmed there is a higher number of chlamydia cases than syphilis on the island and that having unprotected sex can result in contracting other sexual diseases as well.

She suggests everyone who is sexually active be tested once a year and those who frequently practise unprotected sex get tested more often.

“If you are really out there, perhaps every six months you should come in and get tested,” she said.

Porter added: “It’s just a healthy choice to take. We are trying to get rid of the stigma around testing so that people will feel free to go get tested and not worry about Uncle Joe finding out.”

This is why the Ally Centre provides anonymous HIV testing and non-nominal testing for syphilis and hepatitis B and C, which means no name is attached to the file sent to the lab, only the person’s health card number.

“So if you have Uncle Joe or Aunt Judy working in the lab they won’t know you’re getting tested for syphilis,” she explained.