Media Watch
Not Shuga-coating youth issues
Shuga, a drama series broadcast on popular youth channel Mtv Base deals with a vast array of issues facing the youth of today, one of them being sexual promiscuity. The first season in the series has been a big hit with audiences, prompting the making of a second season.
Study links high cholesterol to ARVs
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released key findings of a recent study which links high cholesterol levels in children to taking antiretroviral medication. The study looked at toddlers between 12 to 23 months who contracted the virus from their mothers.
Studies set to assess broader health profile
According to reports in The Citizen and The New Age, two studies aimed at assessing the health, behaviour, HIV- and nutritional status of the South African public kicked off this weekend past.
Increased death rate partially attributed to HIV
Recently published research by the SA institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) shows that from 1985 to 2008 the South African death rate has increased whilst the birth rate has been on a steady decline. The SAIRR findings have attracted the attention of a number of newspapers, including The Citizen
A harmful cocktail: Alcohol and HIV
Over the past few weeks, media coverage has gravitated towards the potential follies of youth. This is unsurprising given that a new year means new beginnings for many young people still struggling to negotiate the dawn of adult independence.
However not all of this coverage has engaged with HIV where it could have.
The New Age and the Daily Sun highlighted HIV as it related to the Kwa-Zulu Natal Health MEC’s efforts at establishing a campaign to educate young women on the dangers of cross-generational sex or ‘sugar daddies’.
But Sunday’s (22 January) City Press featured a full page dedicated to the health risks of alcohol abuse among youngsters which was devoid of any mention of HIV.
