There are many documents on HIV and AIDS in Burma / Myanmar in the Online Burma Library …

The original version of this old article reported the actual names of two people who had HIV disease. They have been renamed X and Y and their neighbourhood Z by the [him] moderator. One assumes that since they are dead, they could not give permission for their names to be reported. Narinjara News should observe ethical guidelines in their HIV journalism.

The [him] moderator suggests that you read “Responding to AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and Emerging Infectious Diseases in Burma: Dilemmas of Policy and Practice” by Beyrer et all in Plos Medicine. http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=index-html&issn=1549-1676 You can also download the report here or ask [him] and he will email it to you.

The official New Light of Myanmar newspaper reports in this article Secretary-1 Than Sein saying the incidence of HIV in the nation is ‘insignificant’. According to whom, Secretary-1? Unnamed “internal and external destructive elements are making an attempt to impede the flow of international assistance including humanitarian aid into the nation”. Who would that be? And there is something called a ‘secret AIDS test’ that is being carried out by international NGOs. Does Than Sein know secrets I don’t or is he just referring to VCT? … An astounding article.

Shan male sex work in Chiang Mai is clearly a hot topic … read on.

This is the most important critical analysis of the response to HIV in Asia in several years. It deserves to be widely distributed and openly debated. Please read it … The [him] moderator agrees with much of the article. He wonders what parts of Myanmar have densely overlapping sex work and needle sharing networks to drive general epidemics. And he thinks that the entire island of New Guinea may eventually look more like Africa though most don't consider it to be a part of Asia. Finally, there are some NGOs that have a bigger impact on the epidemics than some governments.

Now THIS is a posting that is bound to provoke comment from [him] readers. The [him] moderator welcomes comments at hiv.information.for.myanmar at gmail.com about the NLD member’s opinion of one string blouses and adornment. Or MiMi’s thought that sex work is easy and not tiring. Or closing only the sex work venues run by junta cronies while allowing others to remain open.