PORT ANTONIO, Portland - Donald Rhodd, medical doctor and politician, has diagnosed and declared himself heterosexual, following a story broken by the Sunday Observer that a committee he heads wants a national debate on legalising homosexuality.

"I am not gay," Dr Rhodd declared in good humour, from a political platform shared with Dr Omar Davies who was in the parish campaigning for presidency of the People's National Party, to replace PJ Patterson whose departure is imminent.

RHODD... holds up a copy of the Sunday Observer

"I am happily married to Barbara," he added, declaring himself a fit heterosexual, from the Ken Wright Pier.

The Human Resource and Social Development Committee of Parliament, which he chairs, had made the recommendation for a debate on homosexuality and prostitution, he said, as one of 31 suggestions to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Rhodd, the Member of Parliament for East Portland, has a junior position in government as state minister of education.
"HIV/AIDS is a serious developmental challenge facing the world," he said Thursday night.

"Forty million persons are infected with HIV and it is estimated that in 10 years, by the year 2015, another 45 million persons will be infected if we don't do something serious about this challenge."

The Ministry of Health has found that persons living with the virus do not come forward, some because of the fear of discrimination.

"Some of these persons, as you know are prostitutes and homosexuals, and they pass on this virus to unsuspecting partners," said Rhodd.

"Therefore this report and recommendation," he added, displaying the document, "is to try and encourage some of these people to come forward so they can be tested. We have to try and find a way to measure accurately what we have out there..." he said.

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