Indonesian campaign claims HIV spread through sneezing and swimming pools
Indonesian Health officials faced a backlash this week after running a large public health awareness campaign claiming that HIV can be spread through sneezing, saliva, and even swimming pools.
According to Senior Health Minister Muhammad Subuh, who swiftly apologised for the error, it was an honest – though deeply unfortunate – mistake: the word ‘not’ was mistakenly omitted from the poster design, which was intended to reduce stigma but instead no doubt had the opposite effect. However, it once more highlights the very real problem of misinformation regarding HIV transmission.
In a month when top Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen has come out about his HIV status, confirming that he’s currently undetectable, his former co-star Jenny McCarthy exposed her own ignorance by publicly stating that Sheen should have told any former on-screen love interests about his status. Only today, gay men’s health charity GMFA released a video in which HIV positive guys read out some of the terrible messages they’re sent on gay dating apps.
It’s currently National HIV Testing Week, so be sure to get down to your local sexual health clinic for a test. In the meantime, G-A-Y have promised they will be donating £10k to the Elton John Aids Foundation if 1000 people get tested at G-A-Y Bar London or G-A-Y Manchester this Tuesday.
Words by CONNOR YOUNG.
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