Vol 22, No 2 (2003)

The main purpose of this contribution is to broaden the understanding of variables
surrounding the stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS by analyzing a corpus of
Afrikaans-speaking teenagers' narratives on HIV/AIDS. Support is given for the hypothesis
that lay illness narratives are interdiscursive constructions, based on media discourses
about HIV/AIDS, and mapped against the mental schemas of the narrator's own life and
identity. Instances of convergence as well as dissonance between reported illness
narratives (media narratives) and lay illness narratives are highlighted, with specific
reference to the clustering of stereotypical features, constituting three archetypes of
people living with HIV/AIDS, namely the AIDS carrier, the AIDS victim and the AIDS
survivor.

This article addresses the perceptions of the causal relationship between poverty and
HIV/AIDS among selected Tswana-speaking students by using the theoretical framework
of one of the theories of symbolic interactionism, also known as the Fantasy Theme
Analysis or Symbolic Convergence theory. This theory is designed to provide insights into
the shared world views of communicators, which would result in a better understanding
of a rhetorical situation. This understanding will enable communication agents to
articulate more audience-centred messages in their combat against HIV/AIDS.
This article describes the theoretical framework and research method that have been
used. After the synthesis of the findings, recommendations are made with regard to
communication with this specific target audience, but suggestions are also given to
address any target audience. The research indicates that there are two shared rhetorical visions exist. Almost 74% of
the respondents shared the vision that poverty is the cause of AIDS, although most of
them mentioned that unprotected sex with multiple partners plays a major role. The
other vision, shared by 26% of the respondents, perceives unprotected intercourse with
several partners, and not poverty, to be the cause. The lack of values and morals as well
as uncontrolled sexual drives are perceived as contributing factors.

There is no doubt that the impact of media messages and campaigns has helped to
inform, sustain and shape attitudes on a health issue such as HIV/AIDS. They have been
heralded as the most important tools in raising awareness but little is known about how
much impact they have had in changing people’s behaviour. The purpose of HIV/AIDS
health communication and campaigns is to educate by improving health, reducing the
risks of HIV infections and promoting the well-being of individuals and communities.
Most HIV/AIDS campaigns have been unsuccessful in achieving this goal because of poor
conceptualisation and narrow strategic approaches. In fact, the media has been blamed
for perpetuating confusions around the disease. Another problem may be that most
health programme interventions have not been based on theories and models. Theories
play a pivotal role in planning and implementing campaign strategies. Theories and
models can be used to help campaign developers understand the nature of the targeted
behaviour, suitable programmes for the targeted people, the methods that can be used
to accomplish change, and the outcomes for the evaluation. Media messages and
campaigns, if designed properly, can have a major impact on behavioural change. In
this paper, I shall look at media messages and campaigns on HIV/AIDS, and address the
application of health communication theories in influencing health behaviour. Finally,
I shall look at how theories can be used to develop effective health campaigns targeting
the people of South Africa.

This study addresses the internal communication problems of a hospital with regard to
the implementation of the HIV/AIDS-policy within a diverse workforce.
The research was conducted to determine how well nursing and service health workers
at a hospital in North West had been informed about the HIV/AIDS policy of the hospital.
It also aimed to determine what suggestions these staff members as well as the staff
representatives of each department had as regards the communication and
implementation of the HIV/AIDS policy in the hospital.
The results of the questionnaires and interviews indicate that the nursing and service
health workers of the hospital have poor levels of knowledge of the content of the
HIV/AIDS policy and that their communication needs are not met in the implementation
of the existing HIV/AIDS policy. Recommendations are made with respect to the
development of an internal communication plan to improve the implementation of the
HIV/AIDS policy of the hospital.

In the past three decades television soap operas have been used as a means of health
education and persuasion. In recent years, the proliferation of entertainment television
worldwide has made the soap opera a powerful source of educational and social messages.
One of the most critical global health issues of today is the need to reduce HIV/AIDS
infection, particularly on the continent of Africa. In the 1990s, the country of Tanzania
broadcast a highly effective radio soap opera to promote HIV/AIDS prevention. In 2000,
Tanzania again employed the use of the soap opera to address HIV/AIDS as well as other
social issues, this time through television. Our research indicates that the Tanzanian
television soap opera employed in this effort, Maisha, effectively promoted HIV/AIDS
prevention among television viewers. In particular, those who were more involved with
Mashaka, the star of Maisha, were more powerfully influenced by the health messages
communicated through the programme. The implications of this research for using
entertainment for HIV/AIDS prevention are discussed

This paper addresses the unfortunate fact that social theory – particularly in the human
sciences – has been ominously reticent in its intellectual input on the social determinants
of HIV in South Africa. A brief overview is provided of the manifestations of HIV/AIDS
as a genderised† variable. This is followed by an application to this context of the basic
feminist theories – what the lessons are that these afford us when combined with the
societal effects of the disease. This is done within the context of South Africa (post1994) as a state with a liberal constitution. The paper points out that there are distinct
limits to how this particular ideology and its feminist variant are able provide a
transformative impetus in our society. It concludes by emphasising the need for social
theory in general and gender theory in particular to embrace ideological eclecticism in
an effort to combat the hugely negative consequences of HIV/AIDS.