”AIDS is in my blood”: An analysis of community activism, social change, and the AIDS crisis in South Africa

Abstract

With the highest rate of HIVIAIDS in the world (1 in 5 are HIV positive), the AIDS crisis permeates every realm of South African society (Coovadia 2009:818). The political, economic, and social burdens on families heightened by this epidemic demands serious reconsideration of governmental policy and recommendations into alleviating the detrimental effects of this pandemic. The current HIVIAIDS epidemic presents social and political crises for South African society. HIV/AIDS affects the longevity of families (with a majority of cases between heterosexual couples) and creates a detrimental void in the current South African labor market by affecting the most productive sector of the labor force, individuals ages 20-49. My research explores how apartheid and post-apartheid policies contribute to the spread of HIV in South Africa, key theorists who critique the epidemic, different non-governmental organizations working towards continued access to ARV treatment and community empowerment as well as recommendations for the future.