ICASA

International Conference on AIDS & STIs in Africa

Plenty of meetings, discussions, roundtables, workshops etc on HIV/AIDS: some very interesting, some mediocre, some awful. It was a great place to network, and was motivating to hear of all the action being taken against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Something that interested/worried me was that I only picked up on one session about homosexuality. It’s referred to as MSM (men sex men), and is simply regarded as something that doesn’t happen here in Africa. But at an international conference, how can sexuality be sidelined in such a way? How are young people expected to understand themselves and others around them if discussions of sex and sexuality remain such a taboo?

Exhibition Hall.

This was a giant marquee type tent where organisations could display info about what they do, and distribute materials and information to participants. Seriously, the fight in that place was incredible, elbows and knees jabbing all around, people sweating and pushing to collect anything being given away, relevant or not. Somebody please explain what a policeman is going to do with armfuls of materials on HIV policy, info on laboratory kits, and samples of inter-uterine devices. Methinks the latter will end up as a Christmas tree decoration. Chortle.