ABSTRACT
The second and third transition modes together account for less than 20 percent of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection cases in Africa. This chapter argues that health ministries, private organizations, and others must work collaboratively with traditional healers in order to either cure or prevent sexually tranmitted diseases (STD) or HIV infection. HIV is sexually transmitted in Africa through standard penile-vaginal intercourse, and the evidence shows that these occur when have an STD, with or without genital lesions. The chapter offers an explanation of why STDs, including various related or unrelated conditions emically regarded as sexually transmitted, are widely regarded as being in the domain of traditional rather than biomedical treatment. In order to contain the spread of STDs it would seem that at the very least indigenous practitioners—both healers and birth attendants—should be taught the rudiments of diagnosis of the major STDs.
