Sexual health situation in Gozo is in ‘dire state’ – LGBTI+ Gozo
The limited or no sexual health services offered in Gozo is described to be a “dire state” by the LGBTI+ Gozo activist group.
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne was asked regarding the Sexual Health Services offered in Gozo, to which he replied that currently there are discussions taking place regarding Sexual health Services in Gozo. Anyone from the sister island who wishes to request for such services is referred to the GU clinic in Mater Dei Hospital.
“It is unacceptable that in 2020 Gozitans are still considered as second-class citizens,” the group said. “LGBTI+ Gozo has been lobbying for this matter since 2015, and as of yet, no improvements have been noted.”
“We question the answer given by the Deputy Prime Minister and the discussions being held. LGBTI+ Gozo calls for an open dialogue with the Gozitan civil society on the subject at hand. Sexual health care is not only an LGBTI reality, but one that affects every Gozitan,” LGBTI+ Gozo said.
The organisation said that it is unacceptable that in 2020, any Gozitan who wants to access sexual health care services must be referred to Mater Dei. LGBTI+ Gozo highlighted that now is the time to invest in both Maltese and Gozitan sexual health care and to offer the best primary health services to all.
Other NGOs have also spoken up about the Deputy Prime Minister’s responses in Parliament.
Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM) in their statement, extended its support to the appeal made by LGBTI+ Gozo for the provision of sexual health services in Gozo.
“The double-insularity of Gozo has effectively meant that sexually active people in Gozo have limited means to access sexual health services at best, and virtually no means of accessing any form of sexual health services during the COVID19 pandemic,” it said.
MGRM and its campaign HIV Malta also spoke of other replies given by the Deputy Prime Minister in Parliament, saying they fell short of the expectations raised through Malta’s position at the top of ILGA’s Rainbow Map.
“It only proves that in the strides made in terms of equality, we have left many people behind,” MRGM said in their statement.
On Monday 8 June, PN MP Buttigieg asked Minister Fearne a number of questions regarding the HIV situation in Malta and the proceedings that are underway with regard to new treatments to replace out-dated ones.
Notably, the minister was quite elusive in his answers as he simply said that discussions on the topics are underway without giving away any specific information on latest developments.
“Answers given with respect to the HIV pandemic were vague,” MGRM stated, “and people living with HIV have yet again not been given a specific date by when they can expect to see any form of improvement in medication to replace the severely out-dated treatment which they receive, often dating back to an approval date of 20 years ago and more.”
The organisation went on to say that despite being aware of the relatively high rate of HIV transmission in Malta, there still seems to be reluctance and foot-dragging in the long-promised PrEP trials; even though this preventive treatment reduces risk of HIV by in excess of 99%.
“It is thus unsurprising that one of the first decisions made when the COVID-19 pandemic first started was to limit the services given by the GU Clinic, effectively bringing to a halt the services provided by the sole government sponsored clinic that offers sexual health screening in Malta,” MGRM pointed out.
It referred to news articles celebrating a drop in HIV rates during this crisis as “laughable”, considering that little to no testing was being done.
As a concluding note, MGRM said that the pandemic has proven that where there is willingness to put the right resource towards addressing a health crisis, results are obtained.
“It is now the time to turn to HIV, the other pandemic in Malta which dates back from 1981, and resolve it once and for all.”