Inter Press Service - December 2, 2003
Ferial Haffajee

In Johannesburg, a set of new and colourful bill boards captures the attention of a diverse audience. The images they carry convey the importance of self-esteem, dignity and empowerment.

In the Western Cape province, in one evening, over a thousand calls requesting help with relationships, sex and HIV are taken on a hotline.

As the fanfare that surrounded World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) dies down, "loveLife" - a programme to staunch the rate of HIV infection among young South Africans - is preparing to do battle with AIDS for another year, through its diverse range of services.

In a country with the highest number of people infected with HIV in the world, loveLife is one example of something that appears to be working in the fight against AIDS - an attempt to escape the hand-wringing that can characterise debate about the pandemic.

loveLife appeared on South Africa's radar in 1999 with a high-profile launch and a sustained media campaign that piqued the curiosity of the nation.

Its billboards typically featured post-modern designs in bright colours that depicted the pieces of a jigsaw - or single images with cryptically clever questions. In one, a bunch of funereal flowers was backed by the question: "Which of your lovers decided your future?"

Too eclectic for some, loveLife nevertheless managed to insert itself into the popular consciousness.

Four years down the line, "it enjoys very high levels of association", says David Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of loveLife. Surveys show that eight in 10 youths have heard of it, while over 85 percent identify "very strongly" with its messages.

Yet, loveLife escapes easy categorisation: it can't be viewed as "project", a "plan", a "policy" or any of the "p's" that normally occur in the world of HIV and AIDS prevention. It has positioned itself as a "brand". Why?

"Our starting point was trying to understand where young people were at, post-1994 (the date of South Africa's first democratic election). And we found that, after a massive electrification programme, there was a huge increment in exposure to television," says Harrison.

"For example, we've found that 74 percent of youth have access to a TV, while nine in 10 watch television three or more times a week."

This exposure prompted young people to aspire to certain glamorous and "cool" lifestyles, says Harrison, as well as the idea that owning products with well-known brand names was a way of appropriating these lifestyles. loveLife followed this trend by adopting a hip and colourful image - a "brand".

Critics say the messages may work for urban youth, but could be lost on their rural counterparts - a point that Harrison disputes: "There is no difference in aspiration. Rural young people are very aware and brand-sussed."

loveLife initially focussed on billboards, but now publishes youth news supplements in newspapers that have the widest circulation.

It runs adolescent-friendly clinics where staff are trained to assist teenagers. The loveLife hotlines also logged well over two million calls in 2002 (figures for 2003 are not in yet), indicating that the plan has achieved a wide foot-print amongst young South Africans.

Patrons include former president Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and popular politician Patricia de Lille. These people have joined others in fronting a campaign for parents, urging them to "love them enough to talk about it" - the "it" being sex.

One reason for early childhood pregnancies and for coercive sex is that young people do not receive any form of sexual education.

loveLife staff believe that the three keys to reversing the rate of infection amongst young people are to get them to delay their first sexual experience, to reduce the number of sexual partners they have - and to encourage sexuality within committed relationships.

It's impossible, says Harrison, to assess accurately the impact that loveLife may be having on the national HIV prevalence.

But, "The really important thing is that there is a massive opportunity to change the course of the infection," he notes.

"Virtually none of this generation of 14-year-olds are infected," says Harrison, adding that keeping them that way is the key to "turning the tap off on the epidemic". (END/AF/SA/HE/SD/FH/JH/03)

031202
IP031209

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .