Ever since I've been here, there has been at least a background awareness of what a big issue AIDS is. I heard that roughly 20% of adults in South Africa have AIDS. Today (or maybe this week/month?) was a day where AIDS testing was strongly promoted on campus. I saw a student today with a T-shirt that said "HIV-positive" on it. That is a very bold statement. I hope it was a way to get people to be honest about having AIDS so they don't pass it along to other people.
I noticed on my first day that condoms were being given out for free in the restrooms. I also noticed posters on campus, and even a mural in the tunnel I pass through to get to main campus. I also was aware of the news here, and how the events are treated differently from in the NYTimes. The firing of a top official here who had bold plans for treating the AIDS epidemic did not make big news from what I could tell, though it was a big topic of conversation. It did make the news in NYTimes. What did make the news here was a trashing of US's abstinence-only policy. It's always easier to finger point about what another country should be doing better, I guess.
The most startling experience I have had here regarding AIDS was asking a student today about a bracelet he was wearing. It had beads with letters that spelled out "I Know." I asked him what he knew, what it stood for. He said it was for AIDS awareness, that he had the bracelet because he had been tested and he knew if he was positive or not. Then he gave me a big smile like he was thrilled to know/report that he is HIV-negative. This is a 1st year university student, probably no more than 18. I didn't know what to say at all. He was a sweet, soft spoken kid.
It's amazing that these kids are trying hard to be scientists (after all they've made it into the best University in the country, and probably in all of Africa), and they're dealing with language issues, class issues, and worrying about having AIDS. It makes going to college in the US seem a trivial task.
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2 comments:
I have more than one "HIV always positive" t-shirts. But they have a different meaning to them.
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