Concerns have been raised by a St. Lucian living in the Diaspora, that a popular man, who is HIV positive, is “deliberately sleeping around” and action is not being taken to put a stop to it.
The man is alleged to be a bus driver in the north of the island.
In addition, one of the women whom he is alleged to have infected, is struggling to survive as she is being shunned by society.
Rohan ‘Roaks’ St. Marthe made the revelations in a video posted on his Facebook profile on Tuesday, as well as in an exclusive interview with St. Lucia News Online (SNO).
In the video St. Marthe said: “Happy Tuesday. It has been a while since I have spoken to you guys. You know something is bothering me a lot and I just don’t know what it is, but I believe after I got off the phone with this person earlier today, this has been on my mid.
“So I spoke to a young lady in St. Lucia who is HIV positive and she needs help, and I am not going to get into the details of who she is, where she is from, what’s her name, because I will not discuss that information. What I can say is that what I know she said to me, is that her boyfriend at the time gave her HIV and she tried on many occasions to reach out to the women who he has slept with to let them know that, look this guy is HIV positive, he gave it to her and that she wanted them to, you know, do something about it.
“In return they are saying that she is harassing them. She said: “Rohan I have had HIV. I know what it is.” She is stressed out, she is sad, she is not taking her medication because she just wants to die, but she has kids to live for and she needs help. She told me who the individual is, she told me all his information. She said she tried to report it to the police but they treat her like a criminal.
“This needs to stop, something needs to be done about it and I am sure that if this is the case, that I will go to the relevant authorities to ensure that this guy is not going around and spreading the virus to every innocent person.
“And that’s all I am going to say for now, but I wanted you guys to note that ladies, fellows be careful of them because there is a particular St. Lucian who is in St. Lucia, who is a very popular person, who is HIV positive and he is deliberately sleeping around. It’s sad, it is true and when the time is right Iwill shed more information on that. Have a blessed day.”
When contacted by SNO, St. Marthe, who is a well-known moderator of popular Facebook group, St. Lucians Aiming for Progress (SLAPS), said he had no choice but to go public with the information out of concern.
St. Marthe
He is particularly worried about the status of the infected female who came forward.
“I had to take it in. She is worried about her kids because her family turned their back on her, and she does not want people to think the kids are positive also, when they are not.”
‘She just said to me, ‘I dislike the treatment given by certain doctors so it’s one of the reasons I stop. I get treated like I went looking for it, by some of the doctors.’”
St. Marthe, who plans to pursue the matter relentlessly, said he has convinced the HIV positive young woman to resume taking her medication.
“She’s promise to go back on her meds after speaking with me, and my goal is to make her the face to encourage other women who are facing the same,” he said.
He added: “We need to start a national campaign around her to cause two things: government to get involved and second, to encourage women who are faced with this same issue to speak out. I’m planning to start a foundation in her name when she is ready to make her identity public and she has promised she will, very soon.”
“It’s a time for all women around the world to rally around her. Anyone who is interested in assisting can contact me rohan@rrmediaconsultants.com”