A doctor who gave up a thriving private practice in Gauteng to help people living with HIV in a rural backwater was named '€œRural Doctor of the Year'€ last week.

The '€œI didn'€™t have a condom'€ excuse could soon be unheard of if the marketing of an innovative underwear brand succeeds. The underwear features a unique pocket that can carry up to three condoms '€“ for use at opportune times.

Mass messages of HIV prevention are not as effective as face-to-face contact. So, the government'€™s HIV and AIDS communication programme, Khomanani, has taken to making home visits to deliver the message. We went to Parys, in the Free State, to see Khomanani in action.

In times of trouble some of us find it much easier to speak to a total stranger for advice. Counsellors, in the form of psychologists, social workers and others, are often the strangers we confide in. In the area of HIV and AIDS, these professionals often play an invaluable role. Nditsheni Ratshitanga is a counsellor with the youth health awareness programme, loveLife.