The role of men in the spread and prevention of HIV/AIDS will come into focus during the next year, Health Minister Nelson Bascome announced yesterday.

Mr. Bascome told Parliamentarians he would like World AIDS Day and 2001 to "speak directly to men''.

"Risky sexual behaviour puts you and our women and children at risk,'' he added. "I, therefore, urge all fathers, and future fathers, to consider the potential impact of their sexual behaviour on their partner, their children, and their families.

"Everyone is at risk of infection, whatever the gender, status, or sexuality, has the right to protection from HIV, and we are all equally responsible.'' Mr. Bascome added: "Many preventive programmes and AIDS campaigns have focussed on women and girls, and this should not stop! "Rather, with this campaign the aim is to complement our efforts by focussing directly on men.'' Mr. Bascome explained there were a "number of good reasons'' why Bermudian men should become more involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

He said "on average'' men tended to have more sexual partners -- including extramarital partners -- than women and men were more likely to use drugs, especially intravenous preparations -- behaviour that increased the chances of exposure to HIV.

Other risky behaviour included sexually abusive attitudes towards women and a tendency to be less likely to seek medical care, with many men feeling invulnerable to illness.

"Men in our community must be encouraged to make a difference,'' Mr. Bascome said. "As politicians, as fathers, as sons, as brothers and as friends, men must become involved in our battle to prevent the further spread of AIDS on the Island.

"Men's behaviour and attitudes can change,'' he explained. "All men need to be encouraged to adopt positive behaviours, to reduce their number of sexual partners, to consistently practice safe sex and to use condoms, and to take care of themselves, their partners and their families.'' Department of Health staffers will sponsor activities during the coming year which will focus attention on the problem, targeting men's groups, sports clubs, and service organisations.

Public forums will also be sponsored, focussing on sexuality and responsible sexual behaviour.

The Health Departments push is part of the United Nations "Men Make a Difference'' campaign, designed to raise awareness about the relationship between men's actions and HIV and to motivate people to talk openly about sex, sexuality and drug use.

The campaign is also designed to encourage men and adolescent boys to make a commitment to prevent the disease and care for those who are affected.

A recent UN report highlighted how "harmful'' concepts of masculinity and other commonly held beliefs were.

The top UN official of the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS has suggested that "it is now time to start seeing men not as some kind of problem, but as part of the solution'', Mr. Bascome said.

Since the first HIV/AIDS statistics were collected in the 1980s, 342 men have contracted or reported having the disease and 277 of them have died.

Men make up 77.8 percent of AIDS deaths. Last year nine men contracted the disease and seven others died.

Nelson Bascome