The challenge ahead

On my flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi, I sat in the window seat next to two Kenyan businessmen living in the U.S. They were returning to Nairobi so that one could run for a seat in the senate. (I still don’t quite understand, but that’s not the point of my story.) While we were talking over dinner, I explained that I was in Africa to work in HIV research, and one of the men began to tell me about a book he read that explains the origin of AIDS. He told me all about the lab in California that created the disease, the men who came to Africa to test it on monkeys and those who later began testing it on humans. I was shocked. How could these men – these well-educated men who have lived abroad for over twenty years – believe such a myth? I of course did my best to explain to them the true origin of HIV/AIDS, but I don’t know that either of them was convinced. I’m sure they still believe the disease was invented by a group of scientists in California. The previously light conversation turned into a serious reality check for me. It was a reminder of the challenges to come working with a disease that is so seriously misunderstood.

The misconceptions and myths surrounding HIV/AIDS are almost endless. Some, such as the idea that HIV/AIDS in Africa is a conspiracy from the U.S. government or that having sex with a virgin can cure HIV/AIDS, seem almost absurd. It's easy to blame these misunderstandings on a lack of education or a lack of understanding. But the myths surrounding HIV/AIDS are just as common in developed countries like the U.S. as they are anywhere else in the world. Check out http://www.amsa.org/global/aids/aidsfacts.cfm for a summary of ten common myths from the perspective of the developed world.