Episode 9 - The Disparate Worlds of the Possible and Struggle

In our latest episode, the clash of two worlds; the possible and the struggle. We are confronted with the insane disparity between a world ripe with potential with the swipe of a smart phone,  and a world that is fighting for basic access to a fifty year old contraceptive technology and links to HIV prevention for African women.  Ben chats with Sean Howell, co-founder of the LGBT social media site Hornet App and Chair of the LGBT Foundation. With all the concerns about privacy and political hacking, social and digital media may seem a curious place to disclose your HIV status, that you are U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable) or that you are on PrEP. Yet, that is exactly the future Sean is building. Join us as we have a rollercoaster of a conversation, up and down the insanely fast-moving world of technology that will affect the health and wellness of everyone. But just beforehand, Ben catches up with South African HIV and women's rights activist, Yvette Raphael, recorded from Durban, South Africa. We met Yvette in the 3rd episode of the podcast, and she is in Durban for the South African HIV Conference. She gives us a direct update on the results of the largest trial ever of just under 8000 women across eastern and southern Africa - looking at whether different contraceptive options affect their risk of HIV transmission. The trial is called ECHO and the bottom line is that a woman's risk of getting HIV is not negatively impacted by whichever contraceptive she takes. This is huge news and can't be ignored by governments and funders. It must transform the way HIV and family planning work together, particularly across sub Saharan Africa. Links you may find useful: AVAC https://hornet.com/abouthttp://video.wired.com/watch/blockchain-explained IPPF International Partnerships for Microbcides https://www.tballiance.org/ https://www.preventionaccess.org/ https://tac.org.za https://womendeliver.org/  If you are concerned, or want to learn more about HIV testing, prevention and treatment: http://www.thebody.com https://www.calpep.org/ https://sfcommunityhealth.org/ And for your delight: http://www.nilerodgers.com/about/projects/chic https://www.earthwindandfire.com/You can find us at:Apple PodcastsSpotifyStitcherGoogle Podcastsand on Facebook and Twitter @shotarmpodcast. Subscribe, and if you like us, remember to give us five stars!