It has made many people see the importance of making informed decisions. People still do the same activities but have became more cautious and statistics (according to the radio) have stated that teenagers have began watching more television than embarking in sexual activities. It has also promoted abstinence and the practice of safe sex within the youth of our country.

Do you know infected people and to what extent are they discriminated against?  Yes, many South Africans personally know people that are infected.  This has been an issue to this day in our country because in some cases people have pretended to accept people living HIV/AIDS only to still talk behind their backs.  In some cases parents have stopped their children from being friends with infected children and have told their children to stop playing with children living with the virus. Sharing of utilities has also been a problem but people are starting to accept people living with the virus and the stigma is dropping.

Is AIDS an issue talked about?  In South Africa HIV/AIDS is an issue that’s discussed a lot by teachers and we have even had our president testing himself on live TV in a bid to inspire others to do the same. We have billboards and adverts on this issue. There are local clinic talks, free condoms and in some places free testing is offered.