likely to give rise to further research.
Furthermore, the conventional wisdom that the KwaZulu-Natal region is at the epicentre of the epidemic has also been shattered with evidence that three other provinces have a higher rate of infection.
In the same week as the HSRC study was announced, the South African Medical Association announced it will provide 18 pilot sites to offer antiretroviral treatment, with the funding likely to come from the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
At the launch of this initiative, Mr Mandela praised Zackie Achmat, the chairman of the Treatment Action Campaign and also an HIV positive activist, who has refused to take antiretroviral treatment until it is available to all. However, his medical condition now requires that he take them - as he has been increasingly developing opportunistic infections.

Lipodystrophy: worse for gay men
A study has found that that gay men are the group most likely to suffer as a result of lipodystrophy. Dr Jordi Blanch, from Barcelona, reports: “These men had greater impairment to their...psychological well-being if they suffered from lipodystrophy.” He continues: “As quality of life impairment can interfere with treatment adherence, asking about psychosocial functioning should be included in every medical visit, especially among these particular groups of patients.”
Herpes aids HIV
People with HIV who are also infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) - 60 to 80 per cent are - should take the anti-herpes drug acyclovir to guard against herpes attacks, research suggests. Untreated herpes may be responsible for the ‘blips’ - short-lived reappearance of HIV - that some patients experience. Dr Timothy Shacker commented: “One intriguing aspect of our data is that it may provide an explanation for the