African slang may be undermining efforts to discuss AIDS

Slang terms used in Africa about HIV and AIDS which are "almost uniformly negative" and reinforce stigma "may be undermining African efforts to promote candid and caring discussion of H.I.V. and AIDS," according to IRIN/PlusNews. Advocates who have worked for 25 years to educate about the disease are concerned.

The slang ranges from "Tracker" (If you are suspected of being H.I.V. positive people say God is tracking you, like the popular southern African service that tracks and recovers stolen ve (South Africa,) to Eedi- "Curse" to Shuramatongo - "A bad omen for relatives".

A longer list can be seen here.