The Swedish Association for HIV Positive People is appealing for support to beat a new law being discussed in the country’s parliament. The proposal would mean that HIV positive people must always inform others about their status before engaging in sexual activities and places the responsibility solely on the HIV positive person. The law would also mean compulsory isolation for those who test positive for the virus and could lead to long prison sentences for HIV positive people. They call on campaigners to email the Swedish minister of public health Morgan Johansson (at registrator@social.ministry.se).
Treating HIV in developing countries is not only cost effective but it is also more expensive not to treat the disease, according to a leading economist. Jean-Paul Moatti told the recent IAS conference in Paris that there is growing evidence that it is “economic stupidity” not to deliver treatments to the developing world. “Aids doesn’t just kill workers, it kills young adults and they make and raise children - human capital,” he said.
Sex workers in India are being advised to use the ancient Hindi treatise on sex, the Kama Sutra, as a means to learn safer sex practices. India recently announced a sharp increase in the number of its HIV cases, up from four million in 2001 to over 4.5 million in 2002.
President Bush’s controversial Aids policies are not just failing millions in Africa but also America’s own poor, especially women, according to a new report. A third of poorer HIV positive US women who need antiretroviral treatments are not getting them, says a study. US activists are complaining about the shortcomings in President Bush’s promises to provide HIV drugs to Africa and about health cuts at home that are depriving the poor, especially blacks, Hispanics and women, from federal funded treatment programmes. Some US states are now restricting the number of new patients on HIV treatments.
“HIV/Aids prevention campaigns should avoid depicting the disease as
so manageable that young gay men begin to think that contracting HIV doesn’t
matter and instead show that living with the disease and side effects of antiretroviral
treatment is a living hell.”
MICHAELANGELO SIGNORILE IN THE US MAGAZINE, NEWSDAY
“Speed limit signs lose their meaning in the absence of radar guns.
Signorile’s exaggerating of HIV’s consequences may briefly achieve
risk avoidance among the naïve, but at a terrible cost, the long term
loss of prevention’s credibility.”
CURT HICKS, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, CHICAGO
“I don’t think sex and death are things your mind brings together
very easily when you’re 20.”
KENT DOBBS, A VOLUNTEER FOR AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES
“There is an old joke about a man who kills his parents and then begs
the court for mercy because he is an orphan. For such chutzpah on a global
scale, consider President Bush’s overseas Aids initiative.”
EDITORIAL, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Africa is the epicentre of the global Aids pandemic. So then why does
it take five whole years to spend 15 billion dollars? We spent twice that in
one month invading Iraq and bombing it back to rubble.”
ACTIVIST DAVID SAYLER
“We should eat garlic because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties,
lemon because of Vitamin C, and olive oil as a source of Vitamin A and E...It
is good stuff...Don’t let people deceive you.”
S AFRICAN HEALTH MINISTER MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG
