HIV Awareness Month has been observed this month by the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the charity Supportive Therapy for Aids persons and their Relatives.

The ministry stresses that knowing your HIV status and early diagnosis are important for maintaining health and reducing the spread of the virus.

Given the preventable nature of HIV and advances in HIV/Aids care, the ministry believes a generation free of HIV is possible and is encouraging all people to get tested.

Bermuda endorses the vision of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids which is “Getting to Zero: Zero New Infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero Aids-related Deaths”.

Health minister Jeanne Atherden said: “HIV Awareness Month is an opportunity to promote Unaids’s vision of ‘Getting to Zero’ cases.

“Over the past 25 years, Bermuda has made great strides towards Unaids’ vision. There have not been any mother to child transmissions of HIV for almost two decades and Star has been instrumental in providing education, counselling, housing and support for Bermudian families that have been affected by HIV or Aids.

“As we press towards our goal of an HIV-free generation in Bermuda, I encourage our community to rally together to continue the progress made by HIV and Aids awareness and prevention initiatives.

“I would also like to acknowledge our Communicable Disease Control team, public health nurses and nurse epidemiologist, who provide care and health counselling to persons living with HIV or Aids.”

Fewer than 10 new HIV infections have been reported each year from 2011 to 2015. Aids incidence peaked in 1995 with 49 cases reported and has declined since with ten or fewer cases reported annually since 2004.

There are more than 300 people with HIV in Bermuda. Most, just over 68 per cent, are between the ages of 25 and 44; 75 per cent are male and 90 per cent are Bermudian.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation have recommended that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine healthcare.

People likely to be at increased risk of HIV should get tested more often, at least annually, depending on their level of risk.

According to Unaids, in 2015 there were more than 36 million people worldwide living with HIV.