Media Watch
HIV and obesity a weighty issue
According to articles published by Health-e and Drum Magazine a new trend of intentionally gaining weight is emerging amongst those living with HIV.
Doctors indicate that people engaging in this behaviour are trying to distance themselves from thinness, which is often associated with HIV and AIDS.
But people living with the virus need to be warned against the consumption of fatty foods because they can interfere with the absorption of ARVs.
Infant feeding & HIV: Drum fails to inform
Helping tiny tots make the transition from liquids to solid food can be testing for most parents. In the context of South Africa’s high HIV prevalence where almost one third of expectant mothers are estimated to be HIV-positive, it is even more problematic.
Despite these challenges, an article in this week’s edition of Drum magazine featuring advice for parents navigating this difficult developmental stage, is alarmingly nonchalant when it comes to the topic of infant feeding among HIV-positive South African mothers.
That’s a wrap: Condoms in LA porn
The Times reports that Los Angeles City Council has taken a stance on the spread of HIV in the porn industry by issuing an ordinance which will require all porn actors to wear condoms.
But the vote has come under much scrutiny from those involved in the industry, who argue that condoms are not necessary because all the relevant precautions are already in place.
Sexual survival left by the wayside
As hoards of fledgling graduates flock to tertiary learning institutions, magazines and newspaper feature sections are dispensing sage advice for “surviving” the transition successfully.
Sadly, this advice appears to be largely limited to coping with unruly room or housemates and balancing social activities (like sports and drama) with academic obligation. Yet the two biggies that can really wreck an education – alcohol and sex – have everyone tight-lipped.
Perhaps editors and journalists are weary of drawing direct associations between aspiring young adults and excessive boozing and fornication. This is no doubt influenced by the notion that doting parents are unlikely to be thrilled by articles that implicate their children in binge drinking and sexual risk-taking.
Dastardly disclosure: Times leaves readers adrift
The Times today reported on the outraged responses of two women implicated in a public email which alleges that they were part of an organised ring formed to maliciously infect men with HIV.
But the article in question does not provide any framework with which to make sense of the harmful and problematic behaviour of publicly disclosing a person’s HIV-status.
While The Times reports that the (legitimate) complaints of the two women lie in the fact that they have been wrongly and maliciously labeled HIV-positive, it is the action of the person who chose to make this conversation public that is considerably more worrying. This behaviour is even more worrying considering that the email clearly identifies 23 women by their first and last names and in some cases even features pictures.
