The UN, through WHO and UNAIDS, supports male circumcision as an addition to HIV prevention. Although there are studies done outside Africa that do not seem to show any preventive effect, the over-whelming evidence seems to suggest that it works. So for this purpose I am comfortable with the findings that cutting off the foreskin does reduce the chances of MEN getting infected. And this is where my problem is. MEN.

It seems to me, Madam, that almost all responses to prevent the further spread of the virus is aimed at men. Take condoms for example, here in Zambia and many parts of the world, one is likely to find the male condom than the female ones. And if one does find a female condom, it is neither affordable nor free. Even messages about sticking to one partner are, in our setting, aimed at men as it is assumed that they are the ones who are likely to have multiple partners. And yet the limited studies done on discordant couples show that there are more women who are positive in that situation than men.

I think you are going to have to do quite a bit in making this website far much more simplified, if at all you are going to get much out of the Zambian persons living with HIV and the general public as whole. For people like me that have been privileged to have walked the corridors of tertiary education, it is easy to follow. But I doubt that that is the same for the ordinary Zambians, among other ordinary nationals across the continent, whose interests Madam Mataka serves.