Rural African men make macho AIDS claim

[hightime]

EDMONTON, Alberta, China, July 13 (UPI) -- Some rural African men claim to have AIDS, believing it is an indicator of their masculinity and sexual prowess, found University of Alberta researchers.

Dr. Amy Kaler found a high number of sexually active Malawian young men say they are HIV-positive, without having any medical evaluation or signs of AIDS.

"They assume, first, that it is everywhere and will eventually kill everyone and second, that AIDS is extremely infective and that if one has been exposed to the virus, one's days are numbered," said Kaler.

Boys in school argue with their teachers that there's no point in studying because no one will be alive in five years, according to Kaler.

http://interestalert.com/brand/siteia.shtml?Story=st/sn/07130000aaa033fc.upi&Sys=rmmiller&Fid=NATIONAL&Type=News&Filter=National%20News

[gmoney]

1. I know the feeling...

"Boys in school argue with their teachers that there's no point in studying because no one will be alive in five years, according to Kaler."

Five years sounds about right, especially if someone steals an election in November.

[daleo]

2. This is actually Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

University of Alberta is in Canada - I know because I work there. I haven't heard of this particular research, although Amy Kaler is an assistant prof in sociology.

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/sociology/kaler.cfm

This appears to be a better reference to the article:

Amy Kaler, AIDS-talk in Everyday Life: HIV/AIDS in Men's Informal Conversation in Southern Malawi, 1999-2001. Social Science and Medicine, July 2004, 59:2, 285-298

[hightime]

3. Thanks

additional knowledge is always welcome.