Friday, September 5, 2008

A lesson in primary health and HIV/AIDS prevention

Okay, so I have already said that I've been paying a lot of attention to the way in which HIV/AIDS discourse operates here. One of the things that this involves is analyzing the materials that Veerni and other programs used in their health and HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

So, here are some of the disturbing and just plain bizarre images from one of these materials. Though I censored it a bit, there are some very weird illustrations of diseased genitalia included. Consider yourself warned.


So, they say that AIDS kills. Straightforward.


Don't go to the crazy looking medicine woman; Go to the nerdy looking doctor


Not entirely sure what most of these mean, but there seem to be messages about not eating pottery, keeping your baby safe from monsters, and not peeing on the floor


That can't be a good sign


Yup, I would look disturbed too if my genitals looked like that


The most bizarre image to me. I think the message must be, "Do not reach into someone's vagina if they are sitting next to a pile of poop." Useful advice, I think.






So, I haven't yet gotten the written material that goes with this pamphlet translated yet. But basically, the white guy (your conscience?) is good...


But then evil HIV man strangles him.


Which gives you HIV....



You cannot get HIV by sharing chappati


You cannot get HIV by putting your arm around your friend

Or by shaking hands


Or from mosquitoes


You can get HIV from blood transfusions


Or from being a fetus to an HIV positive mother


Or from sharing needles

Or by having sex with a positive person (though the picture looks like they are just hugging)

Or (again) by sharing needles

Again, I'm not sure what the upper right one means at all. Don't sit next to spilled milk while there are flies surrounding your face?

The way they depict intercourse is genius/completely anatomically impossible, but the advice is good (if the man's penis has giant red spots on it, don't have sex)

And finally, have one wife and one baby (no polygamy)

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