Delcora Williams, Manager of the National AIDS Programme
Delcora Williams, Manager of the National AIDS Program, is warning that a significant legal contradiction in Antigua and Barbuda’s sexual health framework is putting teenagers at serious risk.
In a recent interview with Antigua.news, Williams said the law allows teens to consent to sex at 16, yet blocks them from accessing HIV testing, STI treatment, contraception, and other sexual health services without parental permission until age 18 — a gap he describes as harmful and illogical.
“It is almost like we are setting them up to lose because if you are telling me that I can have sex at 16, then I should be able to access sexual and reproductive health, but the law is telling me I have to walk with my parents. These are some of the inconsistencies we have to look at”, she said.
Williams says this mismatch is driving secrecy among sexually active teens, delaying treatment, and contributing to rising HIV infections.
She also confirmed that several teenagers in Antigua and Barbuda are already living with HIV, while others may be infected but are avoiding testing because they cannot access care privately.
Regional NAP Managers are expected to discuss the issue, and Williams hopes it will spark a national conversation on updating the law to protect young people.
“We as NAP Managers, all 18 of us, this is what will take front stage in April of 2026…two countries that have already changed their laws will share their policy with us, and the hope is to return to our respective countries to discuss the matter”, she said.
For Williams, the end solution is to either move the age of consent to 18 or move the age of access to care to 16.
An estimated 1,040 people are currently living with HIV in Antigua and Barbuda, including affected teens.
Williams says the growing number of adolescent infections underscores the urgent need to align the law with reality and ensure young people can access the care they need.
She’s a waste of time. Cuz you haffu beg she for condoms. She war no too much. Smh
Again. Young people protect yourself
Delcora is absolutely right. The law is contradicting itself and the young people are the ones paying the price.
We can’t keep pretending teenagers aren’t sexually active. Blocking them from care only makes the situation worse
If teens are already living with HIV in Antigua, what more evidence do we need that the system is failing them?”
They need to stop passing morality as policy and start passing laws that actually help people.
These inconsistencies have existed for years. It’s time the policymakers face reality and fix it.
Am I wrong but alot of LGBT People working at the AIDS secretariat tho
Addressing the care gap will need legal updates, not just awareness campaigns, because the barriers are structural.
This gap in the law is dangerous. Teens will hide, experiment, and avoid medical care. By the time they seek help, it could be too late.