Myths and Misconceptions
The South African AIDS epidemic has been shrouded in myth and plagued by misconception.
A recent study conducted by the HSRC suggests that between 2005 and 2008 there has been little change in people’s adherence to these myths. When asked to say whether the following statements were true or false, only 63.8% of South Africans interviewed could answer all four correctly:
- HIV does not cause AIDS
- Having sex with a virgin cures AIDS
- There is a cure for AIDS
- AIDS is caused by witchcraft
This is only a marginal improvement from 2005 when 61.6% of the respondents rejected all four of these myths correctly.
There are a number of explanations for South African’s adherence to these myths and misconceptions. They may be the result of conflict between traditional, cultural ideas of disease and Western notions of science and medicine, or could be traced back to the inequality fostered by the apartheid system. Or, in some cases it could be a result of simply “not knowing”.
In this section, Journ-AIDS examines the most common and pernicious myths and misconceptions about this disease and attempts to address these myths through providing relevant and reliable information. The discussion often goes beyond that to explore the causes of these misconceptions.
