Multiple and Concurrent Partnerships – Media Watch
Journalists go on swatch watch
In challenging the sale of t-shirts with misogynistic and potentially harmful messages by the Foschini group, a number of journalists have put their best foot forward by going beyond HIV reporting to advocacy.
In a letter to the Managing Director of Markham’s head office a number of journalists, women’s rights activists and feminists condemn the tees, which they say could promote risky behaviours linked to the spread of HIV such as violence against women, excessive alcohol consumption, and multiple concurrent partnerships (MCP).
The well written and concise statement builds its argument on the point that this unique form of media (like the news media) not only reflects dominant norms, beliefs and behaviours but may also perpetuate them.
Cheers for safe sex
The Department of Health along with the Society for Family Health, the SA Business Coalition on HIV-AIDS and SA Breweries are launching a programme which will see more than 845 million condoms distributed along with alcohol deliveries to tavern and shebeens, for the next five years.
Hugs and drugs: Behavior change still needs work
"She infected me, says doc" -- It’s the kind of story that elicits gasps, something that is reminiscent of an episode of the Jerry Springer show. Someone ‘intentionally’ infecting their partner with HIV is probably right up there with most people’s worst nightmare because it represents emotional and bodily betrayal all rolled up in one. But nevermind the sensationalist, dirty laundry aspect of this story, what this story really brings to light is the ever thorny issue of behavior change in HIV prevention.
Agony Aunts: Love triangles are also HIV’s ‘Bermuda’ triangles
While agony-aunts have traditionally offered us an objective, sympathetic and supportive shoulder to cry on, they should embrace and use their platforms to spread the word on HIV prevention.
Despite blatant evidence that correspondents are engaging in unprotected sex with more than one partner at a time (termed multiple or concurrent partnerships or MCP), very few agony aunts address the risk of exposure to HIV lurking in the trysts of their correspondents.
Thankfully Move!’s agony-aunt Sis Anne is breaking the mould.
Sies, Sowetan for failing to address safe sex angle
The Sowetan’s borderline-pornographic coverage of police officers bonking (in their words) certainly has, as the editor predicted, got the nation talking.
But forget drawing any real attention to police negligence or failures of the system, the gratuitous material got tongues wagging about one thing more than any other - sex.
And this is not necessarily a bad thing. In the context of our HIV epidemic, it is about time we have a public and open debate about sex and particularly about risky sex.
But this is not it.
