Analysis: Death Stalks A Continent

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Death Stalks A Continent In 2001, TIME Magazine released an article documenting the horrifying and hideous spread of the sexually transmitted disease, AIDS in South Africa. South Africa’s AIDS outbreak started shortly after apartheid was declared a crime against humanity. In this article, we are lead through patient's personal stories of suffering through constant shame, humiliation, violence and pain. We are able to look through the eyes of men and women with AIDS in a third world country with no access to a cure. We are able to read through their experiences living with a disease that is killing everyone around them in the pre-industrial world of South Africa. Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, is a sexually transmitted infection …show more content…
Having AIDS in South African culture is difficult because South African Americans value the intimacy of sex. Consequently South Africans do not talk casually about sex, making it even harder and embarrassing for people to get tested. Doctors often will purposely write a different diagnosis on patients death certificate to protect the patient’s family from the embarrassment and harsh judgement from their peers. A domestic servant, Laetitia Hambahlane’s (alternate name) was 42 (51 now) when she was tested for HIV. Unfortunately, test came back positive.. Laetitia said “I’d wish I’d died right then”. Laetitia asked for help but there was nothing the doctor could do, so she was discharged. Laetitia returned home and informed her mother and children about her HIV diagnosis, she was kicked out of her mother's home and disowned.However, Laetitia’s brother also has AIDS. The mother only kicked out Laetitia, which only demonstrates the significant partiartic divide in worth between the two …show more content…
In America, the epidemic was not as detrimental because it was somewhat limited to certain groups (Homosexuals and Drug abusers). The United States is more industrialized and is better able to educate people on the spread of HIV. While in third world countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa are unable to properly care for the millions of people suffering from AIDS. South Africa is a patriarchal society, and men make up most of the actual workforce while women usually stay at home similar to ancient Hunter/Gatherer societies. Most men usually work away from home to acquire higher paying jobs in the city or in mines. Because the men have to go long distances and travel for work, they often have sex with multiple different women or prostitutes, making it so any other sexual partners will contract AIDS. The men return home to their wives a few weeks out of the year, not knowing whether or not they are carrying the disease. Louis Chikoka, a traveling truck driver excuses his unsafe sexual habits by saying “I been away two weeks, madam. I’m a human. I’m a man.I have to have sex”. Migrant jobs are common among men and with the polyamorous relations they have it allows AIDS to spread even farther. In Francistown, 43% of adults are HIV positive because the international trade routes converge there,
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