AIDS Epidemic: A Behavioural Change is needed

Cheryllyn Dudley MP – ACDP

Tuesday, 20 November 2001


African Christian Democratic Party MP, Cheryllyn Dudley in a statement today supported The South African Medical Association (SAMA), the representative body of South Africa’s doctors, who yesterday in a press release regarding the Health Summit 2001 Conference taking place in Johannesburg, stated unequivocally that HIV causes Aids and that anti-retrovirals should be made available to South Africans.

Mrs Dudley said that what is needed in our society today, in order to save us from this HIV epidemic is “a behavioural change.” Mrs Dudley said, “The message we are sending our children is confusing. We cannot preach abstinence and faithfulness as well as a carefree condom culture.”

The South African Government needs to take a classical approach to this epidemic. Mrs Dudley said that notification is compulsory in all other disease control, but in the case of an Aids patient confidentiality is the priority. “Confidentiality in the case of HIV is a liability and a death sentence for many”, said Mrs Dudley.

Knowing the true nature of the disease, and making sure that people are aware that HIV is present in all body fluids, is also a necessity. At the conference yesterday, Mrs Dudley suggested in a break-away group on prevention of HIV/Aids, that knowingly transmitting the disease should be a punishable offence, however this suggestion was left out of the report back to the conference.


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For more information please call Cheryllyn Dudley MP at 0828906520 or ACDP Media Liaison Liza Bloemetje at 082 4781037