South Africa is once again at the centre of an AIDS drug controversy. Emotions are running high and the challenge is to determine what the issues are and the likely consequences for the thousands of women and children who may need the drug.
Instead of waiting for resources from national government on how to deal with HIV/AIDS, McCord Hospital in Durban has implemented its own fundraising plans driven by people living with the disease.
What makes South African men have many sexual partners and what kind of men are rapists?(Extended Version)
Testicular cancer is a cancer of the testicles that can affect males from 15 years of age to 40. According to the Cancer Association of South Africa, testicular cancer rarely occurs in early teens and in men over the age of 40, but boys who reach puberty early at 9 or 10 years of age, have a higher risk of testicular cancer. According to Khaya Nkontso a co-ordinator for the 'Men As Partners' programme of the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa in Cape Town, men are largely ignorant about the kinds of cancers that can affect them and reluctant to talk about them ' something the 'Men As Partners' programme is trying to overcome.
Botswana has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. It is estimated that around 38.8 percent adults between the ages of 15 to 59 are living with HIV. According to Limpet Mpotokwane, a Programme Development Manager for African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships in Botswana, alcohol abuse is one of the key factors fueling the HIV pandemic, along with poverty and the mobility of Botswana between urban and rural areas. She says her government and the communities are ready to take the bull by the horns in formulating a new national forum that will oversee programmes to assist people with alcohol abuse and HIV.
Follow proceedings at the 2nd International AIDS Society Conference in Paris from July 13 to 16 online courtesy of http://www.kaisernetwork.org - a free online health policy news and information service of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The Scientific Programme of the 2nd IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment is planned to provide new insights into HIV disease that can lead to new research directions, help speed translational research and move advances into clinical practice. Webcasts will be available of all conference plenaries as well as selected sessions.
The death of a budding Johannesburg film-maker, Mpumi Njinge, due to AIDS in October last year left sadness and a deep void amongst his friends and family. On a personal level, Mpumi faced a double prejudice, not only was he living with HIV/AIDS, he was also gay. However, instead of the shame and silence that often accompanies HIV, Mpumi's death has brought his friends together to discuss the possibility of preventing further losses to AIDS.
What makes South African men have many sexual partners and what kind of men are rapists?
What should happen when miners who are HIV positive are injured or die as a result of working underground?
In our last Living with AIDS slot we discussed how participants in the upcoming Phase One HIV vaccine trial - due to start in less than three months - would be protected against HIV infection during the trial.
In many parts of Africa, talking openly about matters of sexuality is taboo and there is still a stigma attached to illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. In many traditionally patriarchal cultures, women and young people have little status or power when it comes to decision-making and this affects their ability to negotiate safe sex. Professor Davison Munodawafa, Director of the Guidance, Counseling and Youth Development Centre for Africa in Malawi, says while sex remains a private issue, AIDS has forced some parents to open up and talk about sex.
Can talking about sex to children help them understand the dangers of HIV and AIDS? As a mother and a role model, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Minister for Public Service and Administration, feels it is important for parents to get involved in issues that relate to their children's health, especially when it comes to addressing HIV/AIDS. She says that discussing sexual issues with children should not be a taboo but an opportunity to enlighten children about the various choices they have. She says her own children are keen to talk about HIV/AIDS.
A debate around compulsory HIV testing of miners is set to shake the mining industry in the coming months, raising concerns around discrimination versus the protection of miners if their HIV status is known. By Khopotso Bodibe and Nawaal Deane.
Government's mother to child HIV prevention programme is in danger of turning into a dismal failure in at least six provinces. National staff have failed, repeatedly, to attend crucial meetings. Key provincial posts have been vacant for more than a year and there is a chaotic approach to crucial issues such as infant feeding, HIV testing, drug dosages and the following-up of babies and mothers. This does not bode well for an anti-retroviral treatment programme in the public sector.
The first human trial of HIV vaccines to be held in South Africa is due to start in the next two to three months.
Be in the know with our free weekly newsletter. We deliver a round-up of our top stories and insightful reads from across the web.