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Tapiwanashe Kujinga
CEPA Partner, PATAM

The conference is slowly winding down, and the energy among the delegates is visibly sapped. I have been here attending the conference for 4 days and another 2 days in a pre-conference symposium, so I am about knackered.

Today we held a PATAM meeting to discuss the future direction of the movement. There have been a number of calls during the conference for the movement to take a more decisive role on the continent. I will compile the minutes and send them out later.

I have attended a number of interesting sessions. One cohort study found that 47% of partners in a sero-discordant relationship were women. This is quite startling especially given the fact that men are usually conceived as the drivers of the epidemin, especially in heterosexual settings. This study is likely to have a fundamental impact on social marketing that, hitherto, has largely targeted men.

The drive for a cure for HIV has been narrowed to focus on latent HIV reservoirs. Even with effective HAART and undetectable viral load, HIV can still persist by latently occurring in parts of the body where ARVs have low rates of penetration. The testes, for instance, can have up to 30% virus levels even viral load is undetectable. Therapies to penetrate and destroy HIV within these latent reservoirs will give us an answer to the cure.

A number of sessions focused on MSM, injecting drug use, commercial sex work, law & HIV and prevention.

As expected in such a large gathering, surprises never end. I was delivering some PATAM magazines to the Women's Networking Zone and found myself ducking under a line of women's underwear (bras, panties, G-strings etc) strung around the booth. The attendant informed me that these were surrendered by some women attending the conference in order to draw some attention to the booth.

"Thats what brought you here, isn't it?", she asked me.

"No, I'm actually here to leave these magazines".

Despite my evident haste to leave for a session, she detained me for a few minutes longer extolling the benefits of decriminalising sex work.

The TB demonstration was complete with an African drum, and I felt closer to home. The rhythm was distinctly Southern Africa.

The numerous stands in the Exhibition Hall and Global Village are laden with materials - books, magazines, CDs, posters, flash drives and other freebies. You can take all you want as long as you dont exceed your weight limitation on the place. I have duly taken all that caught my fancy (including hand sanitisers), and will deal with Lufthansa when I get to the airport.

Tapiwanashe Kujinga
CEPA Partner, PATAM

The dilemma that faces the conference-goer at IAC is which session to attend given the vast choices that are offered. At times, there are 3 interesting sessions running simultaneously and another two events being conducted in the Global Village, and the temptation to clone oneself is very real.

A little bit about the place. Vienna is a historical city and was the seat of the Austrian Empire ruled by the Habsburg monarchy in the 19th century. The empire was a successor to the Holy Roman Empire (that was once described as being neither holy nor Roman nor an empire). This city hums with typical Viennese efficiency, the trains and trams run on time, the subways and streets are clean and there are cultural events everywhere. Thus far, the conference has run without a hitch. One resident was unaware of the International AIDS Conference, and it is amazing that 20,000 people can descend on a city with nary a notice from the locals.

The conference itself is being held at the Reed Messe Wien Conference centre, a huge complex near the Messe Prater subway station. It has lots of meeting rooms, both large and small, and there are lots of restaurants and ample sitting space. Whilst we still have to take long walks to get from one session room to another, the venue is a far cry from Toronto where delegates toiled from the North Tower to the South Tower and back, leaving many gasping for breath.

The demonstrations by activists continue. The EU stand was taken over by protesters angry with the seizure of generic drugs by the bloc. I also saw another demonstration calling for the decriminilisation of sex work. In my country (Zimbabwe), if this type of protest is not stopped by the Police, the protesters are assured of a lynching by the public. Such events are always makes one think of the differences in attitudes and opinions amongst populations.

In the main hallway is this siren clad in a micro-skirt surrounded by condoms of all types, colours and flavours (I heard her mention 'mint'). She is always at her post of duty, demonstrating the use of female condoms using props and answering questions from the passing delegates. Of course, the stand has become vastly popular with its endless supply of T-shirts with the word 'CONDOMISE' boldly printed at he back, as well as its ample supply of condoms, including those of the exotic type. Almost everytime there are delegates shoving huge handfuls of condoms into their bags, and I have a sneaking suspicion that extra-conference activities are seriously competing with the serious business of the event.

Today is another full day, the plenary starts in an hour's time. After that comes the agonising choices of sessions.

Lisa Schechtman
Policy Director, GAA

One thing that always strikes me about the International AIDS Conference is how authentic people seem to be here. Lesbian, gay, transgender, HIV positive, HIV negative, drug user, sex worker, activist, bleeding heart—people are who they are, and everyone mingles together and thinks nothing of the things that make us different. Instead we are all here as one, for one reason, and those things that make us different are what pulls us together. There is more activism at this conference than in Toronto or Mexico City. I don’t know if that’s because the world has changed for the worse, or if it’s because things have been getting better and dashed hope is one of the hardest things in the world to deal with. But there is anger here this week, productive anger, as if we’ve finally reached our limits and we can’t be nice any longer. But even the protests are respectful and heartfelt—perhaps not “nice,” per se, but not mean, either.

I think I will never forget marching to the opening ceremony with friends who are living with HIV and hearing them chant: “Keep your promises. WE WANT TO LIVE!” That “we want to live” will keep me motivated, and remind me how much I want these friends to live, too, and the inspiration and motivation they give me to continue fighting for the universal human right to a safe, healthy and happy life that allows for choice and power. The theme of this year’s IAC is human rights, and I couldn’t find that more appropriate. It is the thing that makes it ok for us to be all those things that make us our unique selves and to still be able to come together and call for universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care, children born without HIV, universal access to quality education, an end to violence against women and girls, and comprehensive, affordable, accessible high-quality health care to address any and all health needs we have. We are all human, more the same than different. I think that’s the idea behind the “free hugs” crew here, too; they stand around the conference center with signs reading, you guessed it, “free hugs,” and when you accept their offer the hug you receive shows you that they really mean it. It is a tight, warm embrace, from one human being to another. They don’t ask if you are HIV positive, a sex worker or drug user, activist or government official. They just give hugs. From one person to another. The solidarity is astounding.