The myths surrounding HIV/AIDS

Beyond the belief in bewitching and using traditional remedies, educators are faced with many myths that are common with regards to HIV/AIDS.  One of the myths is that there are worms in condoms and you shouldn’t use them.  No one seems to know where this comes from.  Maybe it’s the lubricant that is in some of them.  Who knows?  Another one is that AIDS stands for America’s Idea to Discourage Sex.  You can decide for yourself what that means.  Another is that if you wash yourself right after having sex, you will wash away the virus.  In some parts of Africa, they believe that sex with a virgin will cure you of AIDS.  Thank goodness that myth is NOT prevalent in Botswana as many African nations have an increase in rapes of young girls by men infected with the virus.  Lack of education remains to be our biggest problem.  When a person can’t read, they can’t even fathom the idea of something as small as a virus or even imagine how it replicates itself.  Nata clinic uses a wonderful video that compares the virus to termites.  We know that damage is being done to the wood even if we can’t see it from the outside. Health educators in Nata will continue to fight the myths surrounding this disease.