Bridging The Hiv/Aids Gap In Africa
Bridging the HIV/AIDS Information Gap in Southern Africa
Written by Fred Engh
"I have heard of injections and pills and condoms, but they are not for me
because I am not familiar with them. I tied a piece of yarn around my babies waist to protect him. I also tied a piece of yarn around my own waist-it is good luck-to protect me from getting pregnant. There are traditional rituals to do-the yarn has traditional medicine and talismans tied to it, and this prevents me from getting pregnant." (KM interview 27/02/1995) This was the answer of an African mother who was asked about preventing pregnancy and the spread of AIDS, she was interviewed in an attempt to gain some insight into the problem of HIV/AIDS and vertical transmission from mother to infant. The study, conducted by UK Medical Researchers, asked several adult couples various questions regarding their sexual history and family background. After interviewing the subjects, it became apparent that lack of education and high level of fear and ignorance were only making the problem worse for the people living in sub-Saharan Africa. When an African soldier, age 35, was asked to list some ways that HIV or AIDS could be transmitted, he listed through saliva, kissing, a toothbrush, razor blades, scissors, syringes and transfusions, however he also insisted that he had an intuitive sense' about sexually transmitted diseases, and would know if a woman was infected. This obvious gap in information needs closer examination. While reading this paper we will look at three southern countries in Africa with similar social make-ups and look at what is being done tohelp stop the spread of AIDS among young women. This paper will research some of the reasons contributing to the AIDS epidemic in South Africa today and the issues they face in bridging the information gap.
AIDS is a massive global problem that impacts mainly people in poverty and without access to basic...
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