Published 25 November 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2638
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2638

Feature

HIV and AIDS

AIDS and the irrational

¹ New York NY 10031, USA

Feature, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2566

The director of UNAIDS, Peter Piot, is stepping down in the next few weeks. In an open letter to his replacement, Helen Epstein argues that the agency should give the issue of concurrent partners high priority in combating HIV in Africa

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In a recent survey of HIV positive South Africans, almost half believed that traditional African medicine is more effective than antiretroviral drugs.¹ This is upsetting news. The country has invested heavily in antiretroviral drugs, rapid HIV tests, CD4 cell counters, and condoms and is the site of many clinical trials into novel treatments and HIV prevention devices. In the midst of all this technology, why do irrational beliefs about AIDS persist?

The reasons are complex. AIDS advocacy groups attribute misconceptions about AIDS to sexual shame and the misguided leadership of former president Thabo Mbeki, who questioned the relation between HIV and AIDS. However, rumours about AIDS—that it is caused by witchcraft, US backed germ warfare against black people, or some foodborne poison—are common everywhere.² In Nigeria, for example, a barber recently told a reporter that three quarters of his clients bring their own clippers because of fear of AIDS—even though . . . [Full text of this article]

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