MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

ABSTRACT: This summary presented to the committee at Doctors Without Borders that specialize in the Swaziland region of Sub-Saharan Africa argues that more measures must be taken to decrease stigma around testing for HIV/AIDS in Swaziland, particularly for young women. Swaziland is a country in Southern Africa with the highest HIV prevalence in the world, and although measures taken since 2013 to increase antiretroviral treatment has increased the HIV response, a focus on effective prevention is still yet to emerge. Young adult women and adolescents are a vulnerable population in particular because they are disproportionately affected, with 31% of all women living with HIV versus 20% of men in Swaziland, according to Avert.org. This is attributed to high levels of stigma around young women in particular that discourage them from seeking tests and treatment after infection. Swaziland also has high rates of poverty, intergenerational sex between young women and older men, and polygamous relationships which all serve to disproportionately affect young females. The Doctors Without Borders committee on Swaziland must therefore be more proactive in raising awareness for testing locations and preventative measures that are targeted at young women. This summary also includes an example of a pamphlet that may be distributed to young women in Swaziland, which describes the importance of getting tested, condom usage, and other resources available to women for free in Swaziland.

WC= 223

READER'S PROFILE I imagine a reader who is a young woman in Swaziland seeing this pamphlet and not fully being able to understand it due to illiteracy, and skeptical of the open discussion of HIV/AIDS prevention due to the high stigma surrounding the disease in Swaziland.

READER'S RESPONSE: I’m not completely sure about all the words in this article. I think having the amount of technical language reduced would really help with comprehension. Also talking about HIV/AIDS is super taboo, and I don’t even want to think about getting tested because people I know will judge me and see me differently, even if I test negative. Also I don’t know the nearest clinic to go get tested at and I don’t have the resources to find out. It’d be nice if the pamphlet could include these locations, along with other free resources that may be available to me.

A, are you writing two docs? One larger update for MSF? Then, a booklet or brochure for a patient at risk? Touch base with me; you can do this set of document but let's talk about the two audiences.