Sizwe's Test: A Young Man's Journey Through Africa's AIDS Epidemic

Steinberg goes to a rural South African village, where electricity is a luxury and TVs and Cars are nearly non-existent, to try to determine what creates the stigma around HIV/AIDS, and why someone would refuse to take anti-retroviral drugs that could potentially save them when they are so readily available. The story follows Hermann Reuter, a white doctor who is determined that everyone will take ARVs so long as the drugs are consistently available in close proximity to the people in need, and Sizwe Magadla, a local spaza store owner, who is currently settled down to marry the mother of his yet born son, but has had many sexual partners, and is afraid to get tested for the disease.

The book follows mostly Steinberg and Sizwe, as show more Steinberg attempts to understand the fear, anxiety and shame Sizwe and other residents feel towards the disease, the medicines and the cause of the illness. Sizwe becomes Steinberg’s interpreter as Steinberg interviews local clinic works and home health aides. Through these meetings, Sizwe begins to see the myths from the realities, while not completely believing the westerner nor his traditional beliefs. It is truly a great book for anyone who is interested in HIV/AIDS in South Africa or Africa in general. NOTE: It is not a history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, it doesn’t discuss the causes of the spread, nor the international struggle with funding, drugs distribution, etc. People looking for a macro level discussion will be disappointed even though it wasn’t the books intention. show less

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