Sizwe's Test: A Young Man's Journey Through Africa's AIDS Epidemic (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: village clinic, antiretroviral users, adherence counselors, Sizwe's Test, South Africa, Hermann Reuter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Award-winning South African journalist Steinberg, a gay white man, conceived this book to understand the AIDS crisis in his country and, to a limited degree, in himself: though HIV testing and treatment are readily accessible, he wondered, why did so many abstain? Steinberg journeys to the poor black village of Ithanga, where antiretrovirals (ARVs) are available, but electricity and running water are not. He examines the disease through the pseudonymous Sizwe Magadla, a 30-year-old shopkeeper who has resisted testing. Sizwe becomes Steinberg's interpreter and explains the village's traditional health-care system in which witchcraft thrives and Western medical missionaries challenge healers and herbalists. Steinberg traces Sizwe's growing awareness of the myths and realities of the three letters—one persistent belief, that whites created and deployed HIV as a means to regain power, echoes the legacy of apartheid still overshadowing the country—and his attempts to reconcile cultural beliefs with increasingly unassailable medical facts. Steinberg becomes intertwined with his subject, but balances critical distance and compassion with gleanings from his own psychological barriers to HIV testing that further deepen the concern and understanding he accords to Sizwe's story. (Feb.)
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From Booklist

Journalist Steinberg wonders how, in a rapidly evolving socioeconomic situation such as South Africa’s, it is possible to record more than a thousand new HIV infections per day. He notes that, despite the best efforts of government and the international organization Médecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, or Doctors without Borders), one in eight South Africans has AIDS. Where, he asks, is the disconnect? Why aren’t more South Africans taking advantage of the medical resources available to them? Are there, indeed, enough resources to go around? To answer those and further questions, Steinberg embedded himself in a small village in the rural district of Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape Province and shadowed a young man, a shop owner named Sizwe. The resulting profile of him, his family, friends, and the local MSF facility is a real eye-opener. Besides a portrait of what life is like for the people negotiating this transitional period, Steinberg offers a candid glimpse into Sizwe’s private thoughts and fears, which likely mirror those of many of his countrymen. --Donna Chavez

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416552693
• ISBN-13: 978-1416552697
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #346,275 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading for all world leaders!, February 15, 2008

By	BookWoman/BookMan TV REVIEWS (Nashville, Tn United States) - See all my reviews

Heartwrenching account of the conflicts between modern medicine and daily life in Africa in the midst of the worlds most horrific AIDS epidemic. A stirring call for action and compassion. Should be required reading for all world leaders.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars so much more, July 18, 2009

By	Moten Swing (NYC) - See all my reviews

So much more than a book about AIDS. This is a nuanced, personal, revealing account of one man (Sizwe), his interlocutor (Jonny) and a doctor who figures out how best to deliver services to HIV+ people in the countryside. It examines personalities and policies with equal depth and wisdom. There are no cartoon-character bad guys, just complicated situations, ignorance, bureaucracy, and a great deal of stigma. It is gracefully and thoughtfully written, never trite, seldom judgmental, and sharp as a new blade. I, however, will be trite: "If you read only one book on AIDS in sub-saharan Africa, this is a great choice."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, March 8, 2008

By	Crunch Solutions (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

The fundamental question that Mr Steinberg wrestles with is why people may choose not to take drugs that may preempt death. His honesty, sensitivity and tenacity enable him to explore the dynamics of a rural South African community in a way that I've not encountered. And yes, the man can write.