Kgalema Motlanthe sworn in as South Africa’s president replacing Thabo Mbeki has appointed Ms Barbara Hogan as Minister of Health and Dr Molefi Sefularo as the Deputy Minister of Health.
Barbara Hogan who was pushed out of Parliament in 2003 in part for her refusal to accept Mbeki’s denialist stance on AIDS, is taking over Manto Tshabalala-Msimang more commonly known as “Dr Betroot” for promoting the value of lemons, garlic and betroot instead of antiretroviral medicines to combat the spread of AIDS.
In a statement, the Treatment Action Group (TAC) said Barbara …

There exists an ageless belief that science is a free-thinking environment where dedicated people happily share information about their work for the goodness and well being of Mankind. Sorry to disappoint the reader, but this is wishful thinking. Distributing and accessing peer-reviewed scientific information might become more difficult as commented elsewhere and for instance this post refers to scientific information available only to the “chosen one”, or those whose employer can afford to pay for it. But what is ironic, is that the subject of this post is itself one …

A special issue of Sexuality Research and Social Policy, the official journal of the National Sexuality Resource Center (NSRC), examined a broad range of problem associated with abstinence only programmes.
Having reviewed 56 studies assessing the impact of abstinence programs and that of comprehensive programmes on adolescents’ sexual behaviour (pdf) Douglas B. Kirby, concluded that “abstinence programs have little evidence to warrant their widespread replication; conversely, strong evidence suggests that some comprehensive programs should be disseminated widely.”
More to the point (emphasis mine)
When comparing recent studies of the effectiveness of abstinence and …

In developed countries, HIV is now a treatable medical condition and the majority of those living with the virus and on treatment remain fit and well. However a significant number of people in the United Kingdom are unaware of their HIV infection and remain at risk of being infected and of passing their virus to others. Late diagnosis is the most important factor associated with HIV-related morbidity and mortality in the UK.
It is in this context that the British HIV Association has issued new guidelines for HIV testing recommending that …

Research conducted by the respectable Kaiser Foundation has revealed that “Many viewers of an episode of ABC’s prime-time medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” that included a story about mother-to-child HIV transmission gained awareness of the issue“.
Victoria Rideout was “astounded!” By the number of viewers that “picked up on factual health info about HIV embedded in the show, and that they remembered it weeks later”, emphasis mine.
Hang on a minute. Would this mean that actually people are affected by what they see and hear on TV? And that people are able …