Jo'burg: Multiple partners and malls

In August, the African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet), one of CCP's regional projects, sponsored a 3-day conference on HIV Prevention in Married and Cohabiting Couples in Johannesburg, South Africa. We took an in-depth look at multiple concurrent sexual partners and sexual networks, couples HIV counseling and testing (including Uganda's Go Together, Know Together campaign), disclosure of HIV status among partners, and HIV prevention within discordant couples, polygamous marriages and the typically taboo target group of men who have sex with men.

Helen Epstein, author of The Invisible Cure: Why We Are Losing the Fight Against AIDS in Africa, gave the keynote address and stayed for the duration of the practicum. It was three days of new ideas and directions.

Here, some depictions of various countries' sexual network campaigns:

Namibia: Break the Chain

South Africa: Scrutinize

Uganda: One Love

When we finished after lunch on Friday, the mall-deprived majority headed off on a shopping spree with unbridled joy and a matching amount of determination. Having what felt like mere minutes before closing time, I found myself grabbing things off racks and shelves, dashing into the dressing room and sprinting to the check-out counter as fast as my legs would carry me. I bought pants that were too big, shirts that were too small, items in colors and styles I wouldn't otherwise own if I had regular access to consumer heaven.

Excuse me. My Hawaiian shirt and I are off to find a luau.