Mangos and More...

So, I am posting a photo of a mango seller. Sadly, the mango season is slowly ending (just as the avocados arrive!) and so the supply is running small. He also sells airtime (hence the yellow MTN bib). All of our cellphones operate on "pay as you go" airtime. This of course often leads to me running out of airtime while I am consulting with another physician...but luckily these salesmen are all over, and willing to sell you airtime almost any time of day or night.

I know you like seeing all the witty headlines the Swazi times print. Well, sometimes I think they print signs just to get a rise out of folks. Like the one I am posting here. The level of stigma associated with this disease is the biggest contributor to why treating HIV/AIDS is so hard. And newspaper headlines that say, "Teacher kicks out HIV positive child again" really don't help. When it comes down to treating this disease, I don't care where, how, when you got the disease. I care that you have come for care and treatment. That is a line I use often with my adult patients. Of course, there is a whole different level of emotions when dealing with HIV in children. First the mothers have to get over a sense of guilt about passing on this disease. Then, they have to tell their child. I have had mothers crying to me, "How will I tell my child?" We have entire counseling sessions and curriculum designed on how to tell your child. The most important thing is to tell them. We have too many 10-year-olds who come to our clinic but have no idea why. They just know "they are sick". Really, they know. But treating this disease would sure be a lot easier if all our knowledge can be shared openly among mothers, children, teachers, fathers, other health care workers and other family members.