Originally posted by snowinscotland
BBC NEWS: 'The head of the Catholic Church in Mozambique has told the BBC he believes some European-made condoms are infected with HIV deliberately.
Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio claimed some anti-retroviral drugs were also infected "in order to finish quickly the African people".'
Is this guy for real?
Yes he is for real and not particularly unusual. Don't forget though that he is a Christian, if you can believe in something as weird as that you can believe anything!
What is far more common in Africa is denial. People who think that they have put themselves at risk and think that there is a good possibility that they have HIV will often deny the existence of HIV, or desperately cling to whatever 'cure' they are told might work. This includes things like intercourse with virgins or various types of traditional medicines.
What makes HIV stand out from other diseases is:
1. the long incubation period during which people do not know whether they have it or not.
2. the negative stigma that goes with it due to the mode of transmission being frowned upon.
3. the fact that the symptoms are not unique and obvious as most people exhibit the symptoms of the secondary infections.
4. the fact that doctors, patients and relatives are reluctant to actually clearly say that a person is infected. Even the death certificate often does not say HIV/AIDS but lists the secondary infection as the cause of death.