TWENTY PER cent of tourists who participated in an HIV and AIDS survey indicated that they have had sex with acquaintances that they met while on their trip to Jamaica, with only 49 per cent reported using condoms.

Within that group, 92 per cent reported that they had between one and four sexual partners while on vacation here.

The study titled HIV/AIDS and the Tourism Industry Fact Finding Survey Report was funded by the Department for International Development UK.

It was produced by Lisa Taylor-Stone, Research Development Specialist at the Jamaica Employers' Federation in collaboration with the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Alliance for the Accelerating of the Private Sector Response to HIV/AIDS in Barbados and Jamaica Project.

The aim of the study was to determine the possible impact that the adoption of HIV and AIDS policies and campaigns would have on the tourism sector.

Resort areas tested

The study, which was launched yesterday at the Knutsford Court Hotel was conducted in the resort areas of Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios and Kingston.

A total of 600 participants were surveyed: 389 tourists and 211 hotel workers.

Additionally, the study revealed that 32 per cent of the tourists, surveyed had sexual contacts with sex workers and 27 per cent with Jamaican nationals who did not fall in the category of sex workers.

Another 23 per cent of sex partners were hotel workers and the others were guests from other countries.

Taylor-Stone said 14 per cent of tourists believed that HIV could not be passed from one person to the other, while five per cent of hotel workers were of the same view.

Meanwhile, the study revealed that hotel workers who perceived HIV as "not serious", were more likely to report never using a condom during sex.

Income earner

The workers said sex with tourists adds to their income. Taylor-Stone said some described the relationship with tourists as business and note that they may have this sort of transaction with several tourists at any one time.

One hotel worker said tourists had the mindset that Jamaican men are well endowed and Jamaican women "can do it good as well".

"It is obvious that the approach to combating the effects of HIV and AIDS on the tourism sector needs to be revisited. Jamaica has sold itself under the sun, sand and sex paradigm for decades and unfortunately this paradigm still saturates the psyche of our visitors," said Taylor-Stone.

Monday will be observed as World AIDS Day. The Ministry of Health estimates that 27,000 Jamaicans are living with HIV and AIDS and 18,000 are unaware of their status.