Living in a developing/transitional 3d-slash-2nd world country in Africa does not mean that we don't keep up with the Jones'. We still receive a rapid influx of globalisation and we are by far the most technologically, scientifically and infrastructually advanced country on the continent. However, like all African countries, we still unfortunately suffer from African politics. Here's 2 of the most absurd claims regarding the HIV AIDS pandemic, uttered by no other than our sweet president and late Minister of Health. -Somewhere in 2005, our then Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (who ironically died in 2008 from complications with her 2nd liver transplant due to alcohol abuse) claimed that she had found an effective cure for AIDS. The perscription: Eat a lot of lemons, potatoes, beetroot and garlic, pray to your ancestors and call me in the morning. -No less than a year later, in our then Prime Minister now President, Jacob Zuma's (notorious polygamist and playboy) rape trial, he claimed that he always took a shower after unprotected sex to prevent HIV. Even today, that shower gag lives on. Go look at a few Zapiro cartoons containing caricatures of Jacob Zuma, you'll soon see what I'm talking about. Now, these ridiculous utterances were uttered quite a while back and we've grown more AIDS- concious. But that doesn't stop the fact that they are probably the most stupid theories regarding the disease in existence. More will be appreciated
that aids comes from monkeys. i still believe that theory about aids being a man made disease by the us government to kill off the gay community.
I think you're off your rocker. If virology was that advanced in the late seventies, where the fuck's my cancer cure and gene therapies? I think we can all agree on the absurdity of assuming beyond raw statistics that gay buttsex is more likely to transmit HIV than straight buttsex.
I once had somebody tell me that gay people in africa having sex with apes caused aids. Yeah, people are stupid
Agreed- Buttsex, regardless of who's doing it (straight or gay, man-women or man-man), is a higher-risk activity simply because rectal tissue tears more easily and creates more conduits for the virus to enter the bloodstream- especially the two people don't use a condom. That statement from the former South African Health Minister is pretty disturbing- coming from someone who should view something such as the HIV pandemic through a more objective and scientific lens. I would expect that kind of comment to come from someone who's lack of formal education and provincial world view limits them to viewing HIV/AIDS in the context of their local culture and customs. I was once told by another gay guy that he would rather get HIV than cancer because "they're very close to finding a cure for AIDS and I'll live long enough to see the day that the cure becomes available." or something
You can contract HIV by sitting on a toilet that an HIV positive person used. That by far is the whackiest there is.
I wouldn't doubt that perhaps the people in charge of the health department kept quiet about HIV/AIDS when it first happened... thinking it was a "gay disease"... but they in no way created the virus. It started off in non-humans, as far as science knows at this time. The US government isn't going to infect baboons with a virus and hope it mutates and spreads to gay Africans and eventually spreads to gays everywhere. Stupidest things I've heard: *You can get HIV from kissing. *Condoms don't prevent STDs. *Only "sluts" get STDs. *STDs are "punishment" for "wicked acts".
This. The politicians even had a term called the 4H club (homosexuals, hemophiliacs, heroin users, and Haitians). They made the argument that since the disease only effected these people, it was a waste of money to research a cure.
That simply being around people with AIDS will get you infected with HIV, or that AIDS is the "gay disease" (ugh).
For a thankfully short period of time around 2007-2009, there was a rumor in high schools that sipping a capful of bleach would keep you from catching HIV/AIDS after having sex with an infected partner. Which actually meant you then had chemical burns (probably outside AND inside your body) in addition to whatever STIs you picked up. Lex
Apparently, they used to cure syphilis with mecury. The things you learn about STIs when you stay with your sister and her friends on a college campus for three days.
I've seen people freak out about breathing the same air as someone with HIV. They wouldn't stay in the same room.
When we was in school, we used o think you can catch aids from a small amount of saliva, but you can only in gallons I think. Also I heard HIV was man made to "depopulate"
Growing up in small town, everyone no everyone. I got taught stupid things about studs and aids. I got told it was a gay thing, only gay people got it. Only dirty people got it. then in high school, there was a rumor that spread, you get aids from kissing, sharing a bottle- soda, from toilet, if two. People had a cut. Hugging which is bullshit. Sex,bj, anel sex, even sharing makeup
The theory that it was made by the US government for some nefarious purpose is my "favorite." Oh conspiracy theorists, you make life so much more entertaining.
My teacher in grade 12 said one day, "I don't know why they bother trying to cure aids, it's only spread by unnatural sex".
