
How India's sex workers prevented an Aids epidemic - sonabinu
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/dec/13/the-untold-story-of-how-india-sex-workers-prevented-an-aids-epidemic-ashok-alexander-a-stranger-truth
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btown
While I applaud the success of this program, this specific article is a good
reminder of why it’s important to read critically.

> The programme, which cost $375m (£297m), is credited with an important role
> in the subsequent decline in India’s HIV status.

Why passive voice here? What authority credited the organization’s work in
this way?

On a closer read, it becomes obvious that there are no primary or secondary
sources quoted except the author of this book and anecdotes presented therein;
essentially, this is no more than a book review. Is there a larger story here?
Are there any suggestions or criticisms that suggest this may not be an
optimal approach?

As submarines [0] go, this is a pretty harmless and feel-good one. But keep an
eye out for articles with similar structure that seek to shape your opinions.

[0]
[http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html](http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html)

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jrumbut
It would be of tremendous benefit (and of course an opportunity for
appropriate praise) to learn who coughed up a pretty chunk of money to help
people who aren't very popular.

As far as I can tell it is primarily the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:
[https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-
Releases/...](https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-
Releases/2009/07/Avahan-AIDS-Initiative-Commitment-Increased-to-$338-Million)

~~~
mirimir
Thanks.

And there's an interesting juxtaposition with another front-page submission.
From this article:

> Alexander, 64, was born into India’s elite. His father, PC Alexander, was
> principal secretary to Indira Gandhi. In leaving his career as senior
> director in the India office of McKinsey & Company to join the campaign to
> stop the spread of HIV, Alexander swapped a life of plush boardrooms and
> fine dining with CEOs for sitting on mud floors with sex workers, gay and
> transgender people and intravenous drug users. In short, a world of which he
> had little knowledge.

The other one criticizes McKinsey & Company:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18691413](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18691413)

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mhsabbagh
Am I the only one who's extremely pissed off by the subtitle?

> Beating Aids is India’s greatest public health achievement. A new book says
> it wouldn’t have happened without women

Replace this with "it wouldn't have happened without men" and you would feel
how ridiculous this subtitle is.

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wjnc
The thing is - if the premise is true that sex workers had an active role in
preventing aids, then it's pretty easy to see that sex workers are
predominantly low-status women and hence that their role and status make this
a more extraordinary achievement.

~~~
dotancohen
The fine article mentions that gays, transgenders, and IV drug users were
involved as well.

~~~
thebooktocome
"Transgender" is an adjective, not a noun. Try "trans people" instead.

~~~
pritambaral
Calling a transgender person "a transgender" and a group of transgender people
"transgenders" is similar to calling an Indian person "an Indian" and a group
of Indian people "Indians".

~~~
currymj
There are differences in usage. For example, it is not correct usage to call
someone “a French”. The adjective “transgender” seems to work similarly.

~~~
pritambaral
> For example, it is not correct usage to call someone “a French”.

Only because the established term was "a Frenchman". There is no such
established term for the group under discussion.

