The link between drug use and HIV/AIDS among young people in ...

“I hear my friends talking and saying that it does feel better when you don’t use
protection. Me I just don’t like using it. The condom does not give you no vibes
(sensation) and thing. And them boy does say ‘Let flesh meet flesh’, that the way we do it
– raw. I like it raw.” [females, 14-16, in and out of school]
Don’t like using condoms
Three groups of females in and out of school 14-19 years indicated that they did not like using the
condom so they engaged in unprotected sex.
“I don’t like using it. Why? it does burn? Me, I just don’t like using it.” [females, 14-16,
out of school]
More so, three groups of in and out of school males 14-19 years reported that in most cases it is the
girls who did not want to use condoms.
“Nah, nah, I does not use that, it take away the feeling. Sometimes you want it and them
girls and them say they want it just so, so you give them just so.” [males, out of school,
17-19]
Unprepared
It was noted by two groups that oftentimes young people were not prepared to engage in responsible
protected sex since sex may take place at a party or after a movie and persons may not be equipped at
the time with a condom or did not have the time to put on a condom.
“A lot of people having sex spontaneously without planning.” [males and females, 20-24,
in school]
Immunity, opportunity and carelessness
As pointed out by one group, some young persons believed they were immune to the consequences of
having unprotected sex - they desired sex and the mood was right, therefore they engaged in sexual
intercourse without the use of a condom. For some as long as the opportunity presented itself they
would have sex, with or without a condom.
“You know as men, you behind a girl for a long time and the time she want to give us we
did have no condom so we did not want to make the opportunity pas. So we had to take it,
yeh.” [males and females, 20-24, out of school]
All the above are examples of carelessness displayed by young people.
Drugs, Sex & HIV/AIDS
Knowledge
Generally participants were well informed as to how HIV/AIDS was contracted. They identified the
following: unprotected sexual intercourse, the sharing of needles for drug use and tattooing of the skin,
blood transfusion, French kissing with open wounds, and breast feeding from infected mother to child.
Perception of HIV/AIDS epidemic
It was generally agreed that HIV/AIDS was a major problem in Grenada and that some young persons
were of the perception that HIV/AIDS was an adult disease.
“Yes because we small and we think that AIDS is for big people and big people that do
these stuff to get AIDS so we have the pride that we can’t get it.We don’t take heed and
we just carelessly spread the disease.” [females, 14-16, in school]
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