Are we forgetting the ‘big truck’?

People dying from AIDS in the present time seems rare. There was a time when people would die, especially the young, and one would often hear, “De big truck knock she down” or “He had de truck.”

‘Big truck’ is a colloquial term for describing the disease.

In the 1980s, when HIV/AIDS was new, the images that often emerged were of frail people who were dying. For a while, many believed that it was disease that primarily affected homosexuals and there were many theories about its origin. It seemed like a hopeless situation in those days–a death sentence as many often described it. When people of all sexual orientations were becoming infected with HIV, the thought about it predominantly affecting homosexuals was rubbished.

I remember adults speaking about the disease in gloomy tones. I remember being terrified of a man who was said to be carrying the virus. There was talk about the man moving from place to place and infecting women. I was in primary school at the time and would see the man, who was often stationed at a rum shop, looking and smiling as the school children walked by. In my little mind he was a fiend.

There were people I knew who died and there was said to have been immense suffering.

In the 90s leading into the 2000s, HIV/AIDS awareness was everywhere. Many of us young people during that time knew that it was crucial that we behaved responsibly. Whether one chose abstinence or to be sexually-active, the responsibility was on the individual to be safe.

In 2006, as part of the response, the MARCH project was started in Guyana. MARCH means Modeling and Reinforcement to Combat HIV/AIDS. The model can be used to tackle any issue dealing with behavioural change but in 2006 when the project started the main issue, of course, was HIV/AIDS. I was fortunate to be one of the writers selected to be a part of that project, which became known as Merundoi. It was an experience that not only increased my knowledge but also heightened my awareness.

All the work that was going into HIV prevention provided positive results in Guyana. In a 2012 presentation in Washington D.C, it was noted that there was a steady decline in HIV infections in Guyana between 2004 and 2011. However, in 2016, UNAIDS reported that after years of decline, the Caribbean saw a 9% rise in annual HIV infections among adults between 2010 and 2015.

During an intervention with a medical professional recently, there was talk about teenagers being at increased risk of contracting the virus. The main factor for the increased risk seems to be ignorance about the disease.

It led me to recall the story about a 17-year-old that I had heard about just a few months ago. She was pregnant with her third child and she was HIV positive. Although I did not know who she was, I was sympathetic because I felt that somewhere along the line the system and/or her family had failed her. Seventeen, from what I remember, was an age of innocence and curiosity. An age of discovery and having fun. Imagining myself with a child at 17 is inconceivable. I saw babies as cute little human beings but I did not want the responsibility of taking care of one. And having to cope with HIV and children at 17—how does anyone survive that?

But it is the reality for many young people. Many may not be HIV positive, but teenagers are becoming parents every day. There was one young woman I knew who by 20 was a mother of five, having had her first child at 13.

When we hear about such stories, many things come to mind. We question the circumstances. We wonder where the adults were that were supposed to provide guidance.

Abstinence was one of the strategies advocated in HIV prevention. Condom use was also advocated. Faithfulness was also a huge part of the response. The importance of having strong negotiation skills was highlighted. The hope was to empower people to know that they had a choice. They did not have to give into the pressure to have sex if they were not ready. They did not have to give into the person who did not want to get tested or use a condom.

But how many teens are grounded enough to consistently practice good negotiation skills—to demand condom use? How many would take a partner to get tested before engaging in sexual activity? While we may underestimate many teenagers, it is lack of knowledge and/or loss of control that leads to the situation such as the one of the 17-year-old.

I cannot judge those young people who find themselves becoming parents so young or who become HIV positive. I cannot berate them for having to grow up too fast because somewhere along the line childhood was postponed and teenage lust was not just about experimenting with sex. They should not to be criticised because an abusive situation did not stay hidden. It is no secret that statutory rapes and sugar daddies are prevalent in our society, where some older men boast about preferring young girls who are still in school. Sometimes it is the parents’ failures to communicate with their children or to build a trusting relationship that exposes them to a pregnancy or HIV infections. Some people would say that some young people are ‘hard ears’ and no matter what the adults in their lives do to make them aware, they will do as they please.

So why are we not hearing so much about the ‘big truck’ anymore? Does not knowing about many people dying from AIDS mean that the HIV infection and AIDS are no longer a huge threat? Does it mean that most people are protecting themselves? Does it mean that those already infected are responding well to treatment? Or does it mean that people have accepted HIV and because people hardly seem to be dying, many are forgetting? Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above, but forgetting is dangerous.

While there is better medicine and people are living normal lives with HIV, and stigma and discrimination have been greatly reduced, young and older people still need to acknowledge that HIV/AIDS is still here and affecting many people. Some people were born with it. Some people’s risky behaviours led to infection. Some people, because of the lack of knowledge, were exposed. There is still no cure for HIV and as the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. We must not forget. And, most importantly, we must not neglect educating our young people before they become sexually-active. They must be equipped with the knowledge to make wise choices and not have to deal with adult consequences before they have even had a chance to live.