Bobert you have stepped on my toes with your remark about degrees. To dismiss higher education as cavalierly as you have is beyond ignorant! You must really be a dumb hillbilly and not just pretending to play one!

At any rate, although the conditions you cite in Africa are major contributors to the AIDS epidemic and all those things Ellenpolly noted which many people in Africa undoubtdly have will register a false positive AIDS tests, HIV is still transmitted the old fashion way, through behavior! Beliefs, cultural norms, and criminal behavior account for much of the transmission in Africa which occurs predominantly in the heterosexual population.

I did a small research study (upon graduating with a doctorate in Social Work on protective behaviors in graduate students in the Social Work population in 1989. It is widely cited in the literature on AIDS protective behaviors and paved the way for AIDs curriculum in Social Work schools across the nation. In my study, nearly 60% of the subjects (admittedly a very small population of 74) had false information, poor information, or were not practicing safe sex! If social work graduate students were that ignorant in 1989, how do you think Africans have faired over the years in instituting protective behaviors?

Shame on you Bobert, for not touting behavioral change as a primary necessity in the fight against HIV/AIDS infection. And shame on you for not noting that the oppression of women is a primary reason that AIDS is so rampant in Africa.

love, harpy