| VI Health Topics |
| A recent survey conducted by VI Health Directory has shown the following health topics to be of great concern to the Virgin Islands community. Research based on local and national resources was used to compile the information in each of these topics. You will find prevention, symptoms, treatment (medicinal and herbal), local support agencies, and much more. |
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DIABETES ....Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is sometimes referred to as the "sugar” by many Virgin Islanders. Diabetes is a serious public health problem in our community. According to the Virgin Islands Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, diabetes was the third leading cause of death in 1996, and the fourth in 1997....Camp DAVI (Diabetes Association of the Virgin Islands) is located at the Virgin Islands Resource Station in St. John, and run by the University of the Virgin Islands.... HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ....Anyone can develop high blood pressure, also called hypertension. People of African/Caribbean descent are at higher risk for this serious disease than any other racial or ethnic group....Many Virgin Islanders with high blood pressure refer to it as “the pressure”. This may imply that it is caused by stress. Although stress can increase your blood pressure, it is usually a temporary condition, and blood pressure returns to normal, once you are relaxed.... HIV / AIDS ....Another special concern in the Virgin Islands is the risk posed by men having sex with men (MSM). This is a deeply guarded secret, that almost no one will discuss openly, making it hard to gain the trust of such individuals and collect information from them....Because of cultural taboos in openly admitting to or discussing homosexuality and the practice of men having sex with men, this population is clearly a significant risk group for the transmission of HIV/AIDS, both among themselves and to the women they may be involved with.... MENTAL HEALTH ....There is a real history of prejudice, misunderstanding, confusion and fear surrounding mental illness. People think there is something essentially wrong or bad about someone who is diagnosed with a mental illness. Such unfair opinions include the beliefs that people with a mental illness are brain-damaged, intellectually disabled, unimportant, untrustworthy, worthless, dangerous or violent....The stigma attached to mental illness is so pervasive that many people who suspect that they may be mentally ill are unwilling to seek help for fear of what others may think, making their illness more severe and their recovery take longer.... OBESITY ....There is also a trend among children in the Virgin Islands towards an increase in overweight and obesity, that may indicate that childhood Type 2 diabetes will become a significant health problem in the USVI, as it is on the mainland United States. Lifestyle factors such as fast food and physical inactivity contribute to higher obesity rates in children. Careful monitoring by parents of their children’s diets and physical activity levels will be an important aspect of the effort to prevent childhood Type 2 diabetes in our community.... |