Zimbabwe

Despite international attention to the issue of maternal mortality worldwide, little progress has been made in reducing maternal deaths. In some countries, such as Zimbabwe, the situation is getting worse rather than better.

UNAIDS report indicates slight slowing of global infection rates; 17th annual International AIDS Conference set to begin this Sunday; Sex education and AIDS; Abortion providers becoming extinct in rural American West; Parental notification measure gains support in California.

Floritah Chiradza, an HIV-positive Zimbabwe woman, who shares her journey to help fight discrimination and stigma against HIV. Today is National HIV Testing Day in the United States.

Sex with multiple partners is gaining attention in sub-Saharan Africa in order to address a ballooning epidemic, where just 12 percent of men and 10 percent of women know their HIV status.

People should be able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to have children. But in Zimbabwe, this right is curtailed by the unseen force of tradition and culture.

Editor's Note: Today we welcome Masimba Biriwashi, a Zimbabwean writer and journalist, writing from Thailand. He has experience with Health & Development Networks and will be covering HIV/AIDS issues on the continents of Africa and Asia.

Male circumcision (removal of the foreskin of the male penis) is increasingly gaining currency as an alternative method to reduce HIV-infection. In sub-Saharan Africa, the worst affected region in the world, male circumcision (MC) could prevent six million new infections, researchers say.