Health ministry: Practise safe sex for festival

Barbados is recording about 100 new cases of HIV every year, causing health officials to warn partygoers – at the official start of the month-long Crop Over Festival – to practice safe sex during the season.

Senior officials at the Ministry of Health confirmed there was concern about what they called a “slight increase” in cases, particularly last year.

“Each year, Barbados records an average of 100 new cases of HIV. In 2024, a total of 105 new cases were diagnosed, reflecting a slight...