HIV / Aids

2004 Articles

Silver Ring Thing Expands
Sexual Abstinence Programme to South Africa.

Johannesburg, SA – December 1, 2004 - The Silver Ring Thing (SRT), America’s fastest growing teen abstinence programme, is partnering with a major non-profit organisation in South Africa to bring SRT’s high-tech abstinence programme to the African continent. “Literally, the decision on whether or not to remain abstinent is a life or death one for most young Africans,” noted Denny Pattyn, founder and president of the Pittsburgh-based SRT. “Our expansion to Africa is a natural outgrowth of SRT’s success over the past four years. SRT has reached more than 32,000 young people in the U.S. in four years. While we have more work to do here in America, we feel compelled and called to do what we can to address the serious HIV/AIDS problem in Africa,” added Pattyn.

This week, SRT USA welcomes a group from South Africa to train for the first international rollout of the SRT programme. SRT recently entered into a partnership with the South African-based organisation “Turn the Tide (TTT)”, (www.turnthetide.net). The goal of the partnership is to place rings on one million South African teenagers over the next three years. TTT is working to address the serious HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. The people of Africa continue to suffer the worst effects of HIV and AIDS. More than 12 million children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. Thirty-nine million people worldwide are infected with HIV. Of these a staggering 25 million live in sub-Sahara Africa.

According to Martin Deacon, CEO of Turn the Tide, the SRT (www.silverringthing.co.za) will be catalyst events all over the country to ignite an instant positive peer pressure group that would give the youth in southern Africa a new vision to become an abstinent generation until marriage. Elvis Mvulane, South African director of TTT and a pastor in Soweto, says that the ring concept connected to an abstinence vow has found favour in his church in Soweto with no new teenage pregnancies happening since he introduced the idea over a year ago. According to Elvis the SRT wave gives TTT the ability to take the abstinence message from being a mere slogan into the first real national abstinence programme that both schools, churches and parents can and want to endorse. The SRT goes beyond awareness; the 3-hour programme entertains, educates and then calls for a new behavioural decision that is then reinforced with the ring - a daily reminder to the youth of their life-saving decision to remain abstinent.

TTT representatives arrived in the United States on Wednesday, December 1st, travelling to SRT’s headquarters in Pittsburgh to begin training. SRT staff will provide intensive, hands-on training by having Turn the Tide personnel help stage a SRT event in Pennsylvania. Members of SRT will travel to South Africa in February 2005 to launch the first SRT shows on the African continent.

The arrival of representatives of Turn the Tide coincided with World Aids Day, Wednesday, December 1st. The SRT has also been the subject of a CNN International / MTV special “Staying Alive” which has been broadcast throughout the week.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/11/26/aids.program/index.html

SRT president Denny Pattyn said “because of the unprecedented media coverage of SRT in the last 12 months, we are now responding to international demand for our programme. South Africa, of all places, will be our first official rollout, where they adopt our programme.”

SRT will work with Turn the Tide to create a SRT abstinence programme specifically designed to reach South African teenagers. SRT takes as its starting point the proven success of existing programmes that utilize the concept of a public pledge to abstinence. However, SRT expands that concept to include the wearing of a silver ring as a symbol of that pledge and the use of specially prepared follow-up materials. SRT moves the abstinence message out of the church basement or school health class and into a club style atmosphere featuring dazzling lighting effects, smoke machines, strobe lights and multiple video screens.

Representatives of SRT and Turn the Tide will be available to the media on return from the USA training. For more information or to arrange an interview with Martin Deacon or Elvis Mvulane, contact Kyla at 083 789 1628, e-mail kyla@wtb.co.za or visit www.silverringthing.co.za.

IN YOUR FACE LAUNCH

In Your Face, the new video production by Doctors for Life and Orison Pictures, was recently launched in Cape Town. The premiere was well attended and endorsed.

Disturbing and unreserved, the film delivers the medical, scientific facts about AIDS and STI’s, combined with a compelling, life-changing message of abstinence before marriage. The film is a hard-hitting AIDS Awareness program, revealing the consequences of a casual sex lifestyle.

“A powerful and moving presentation that should be shown to every young person in Africa. It will revolutionize their thinking.”
– Dr Nico Bougas, Today Magazine Editor –

“At last, an African video on AIDS.”
– Denise Boltmann, Women of Destiny –

“A hard-hitting, life-changing video. A must see!”
– Morningstar School Principal –

“In Your Face says it like it is. You owe it to your children, expose them to the truth.”
– Erin Georgiou, Today Magazine –

“Should this be delayed in getting to our young people, we have failed our duty.”
– Elton Young, Beulah Church –

“Finally, a film that has the courage to expose what other programs have concealed.”
– Dr Peter Hammond, Africa Christian Action –

For more information on the video, contact Eugen Olsen on 083 655 3024.

Doctors for Life International represents more than 1000 medical doctors and specialists, three-quarters of who practice in South Africa. DFL was founded as a South African organisation in 1991 and has spread across the globe. DFL is involved in several community projects including orphan care, the care of terminal AIDS patients, malaria prevention and the care of abused women.

For more information, go to: www.doctorsforlifeinternational.com

A booklet has been prepared on that largest of all giants – HIV/AIDS. If you would like a copy of the booklet please contact us by e-mail: office@sacla.co.za

This brief has been developed by Dr Hannah Britton and Paul Graham. A short brief cannot be comprehensive and the authors encourage readers to add their own information, stories and analysis when discussing how best to slay these giants.