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1-7 June 2012—HIV News Update.
Featured:
- "Life is short. Have an affair": Can South African society, with its exceptionally high HIV prevalence, accommodate a dating service that promotes infidelity? Though it is the first question that came to mind at journAIDS, the issue is left entirely unconsidered in news reports on the South African launch of the Ashley Madison website.
- Dehumanising headline from the Daily Sun: Last week (31 May 2012) yet another stigmatising HIV-related headline was splashed across the frontpage of the Daily Sun: “Teacher bullies AIDS Girl!”
- Ever the twain shall meet: MMC & TMC: An article in The New Age (1 June 2012) strikes the balance between traditional initiation rituals and medical male circumcision (MMC), suggesting that the two are not irreconcilable.
- Media must translate for the masses: An article in the Mail&Guardian reminds us that the media is an important conduit for information that would otherwise remain out of the public’s sight and mind.
In the news:
- Aids treatment reduces baby infections (The New Age)
- Help for 'HIV' pupils (TNA)
- MEC brings health services closer tot he people (The Star)
- Youth sex survey bares all (The Times)
- Motsoaledi denies ARV shortage (The Times)
- Surviving the stigma (The Star)
- Complicated sex (Sunday Times)
- Patients, staff run TB risk at Brits hosipital (Sowetan)
- Questions over missing Aids millions (TNA)
- caregivers to help sick (TNA)
- ARV stock 'under control' (TNA)
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8-14 June 2012—HIV News Update
Featured:
- Sowetan villainises life-saving treatment: Another "ARV boob" booby: The Sowetan seems to have a short memory. In 2007 they splashed the picture of a man with "boobs" across their front page, pinning the blame for his disfigurement squarely on the life-saving antiretrovirals (ARVs) he was taking.
- Sowetan recycles 5-year-old "boob man" story: When we first saw today’s front page of the Sowetan it immediately called to mind their sensational and misinformed coverage of a man who developed breasts as a side effect of the antiretroviral (ARV) drug d4T, back in 2007.
- Sowetan continues to get it wrong: Following Thursday's misleading coverage of a woman who developed abnormally large breasts, the Sowetan published a slightly more sophisticated article today, featuring commentary from the health minister
- Inform & empower to stamp out cases of HIV misdiagnosis: Reports on HIV misdiagnosis need to empower people by giving them information on the correct HIV testing and monitoring procedure.
- M&G clears up misconceptions: An informative Mail&Guardian article which strips down and dispels the myths and misconceptions surrounding life-saving ARVs is an example of informative and practical HIV coverage that is in short supply.
- Papers consider HIV angle of Ashley Madison story: Following the media’s initial silence around the HIV angle of the Ashley Madison story, subsequent reports have been bolder and engaged with the issue.
- From complex to clear and concise: This week (11 June 2012) an article in The Star on a controversial proposed ARV drug trial made sense of a technically complex topic and represented both sides of the argument.
In the news:
- ART patients' registration increases (The New Age)
- HIV mess (TNA)
- HIV-Aids strategy outlined (TNA)
- Effective funding is helping to win the battle against TB (TNA)
- Thugs rape gran (71) (Sowetan)
- North West gets its own breast milk bank to help save children (Sunday Independent)
- Traditional leaders welcome new, safe circumcision initiation site for boys (TNA)
- No more ‘talk shops’ as men’s sector calls for detailed action plan (TNA)
- Hundreds of boys ready to go to the mountain (TNA)
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15-21 June 2012—HIV News Update
Featured:
- Daily Sun shows it really is the "people's paper": While hype around the side effects of certain ARVs intensified this week as a number of other publications picked up on the story of a woman who developed abnormally large breasts that the Sowetan broke lat week, the Daily Sun steered clear of sensationalism and instead ran an eye-catching article on page 5 reminding people that whilst there are side effects, ARVs are above all life-saving.
- Wise warning: Sunday Sun integrates HIV info into contraceptive discussion: An article in the Sun Life section of the Sunday Sun newspaper considers the benefits that a birth control pill for men could have while emphasising that it would not prevent HIV or other STIs.
- Advocacy for one: Judging from coverage this week, the Sowetan may have helped galvanise the public health system into helping Mavis access corrective breast surgery. But it would be wrong for patting itself on the back.
- The HIV low down on 'down there': Lifting the veil from the revered and reviled vagina requires information on HIV transmission that can empower women to protect themselves.
- TNA doesn't engage the KLamp controversy: An otherwise comprehensive article on male circumcision in this week’s The New Age (19 June 2012) does not allocate enough space to highlighting the cons around the controversial Tara KLamp, and instead focuses almost exclusively on the benefits of the circumcision device.
- A more measured dose: Talking about microbicides: A response to a vaginal microbicide question put forward in DRUM’s medical Q&A column disappoints by simply condemning microbicides as a failure in a blanket statement, and not including the finer points on why the results of the latest microbicide trial were poor.
In the news:
- Sugar dads not a sweet proposition (M&G)
- Risky behvaiour pagues our youth (M&G)
- Lack of ARVs drives protest in Jobrug (The Star)
- I am alive and kicking-Bala (Sowetan)
- Men, get tested regularly (Daily Sun)
- Pupils go for voluntary, open HIV tests (Daily Sun)
- HIV and TB: We are all affected! (DoH in DS)
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22-28 June 2012—HIV News Update
Featured:
- City Press serious about TB: City Press shows that accurate, indepth reporting on TB is a priority by devoting an entire page to an extensive article TB in South Africa.
- Letting go of illness: Healthy HIV coverage: This week Move! took the positive heroes trend to the next level by showcasing an HIV-positive athlete, proving that people living with HIV can achieve the same physical peaks as their HIV-negative counterparts.
- Move! advises parents on initiate safety: A well-timed Move! special report brings readers informative and empowering coverage on traditional male circumcision (TMC) and initiation by advising parents as to what they can do to keep their sons safe.
In the news:
- HIV update: Manudacturing ARVs (DRUM)
- New clinic brings relief (Daily Sun)
- Advocacy through social media (M&G)
- Madiba, Bard, Aids manuals dumped (TNA)
- Back off our culture-virgins (Sowetan)
- Shortage leaves Aids patients high and dry (Daily Sun)
- Tuberculosis cuts life of 80s disco diva short (Sowetan)
- Domestic violence a driver of HIV (M&G)
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29 June-5 July 2012—HIV News Update
Featured:
- Looking back at a landmark livesaving judgement: The Star looks back at the landmark judgement that rang in a new era of free antiretroviral treatment (ART) in an HIV-ravaged South Africa.
- Too many teen moms, but no talk of HIV: New coverage on the deluge of teen pregnancies fails to make the link teen pregnancy as an indicator of unprotected sex and exposure to HIV.
- Sunday Sun not mum on dads & HIV: An article in the Sunlife section of the Sunday Sun considers the problem of absent fathers in the context of HIV.
In the news:
- CFO faces axe over drugs shortages (Sowetan)
- Growing a generation of men who respect women (TNA)
- Healers fill swaziland medical gap (M&G)
- Sweat confident of change (TNA)
- Improving a clinic for the people (Daily Sun)
- Fight against HIV-Aids taken to Brits farm workers (TNA)
- THIV Update: Stavudine trial (DRUM)
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