Zuma testimony angers AIDS activists

FORMER South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma revealed yesterday that he believed taking a shower would reduce the risk of infection after unprotected sex with an HIV-infected woman, provoking dismay in one of the countries hardest hit by AIDS.

Activists fear Zuma’s court testimony will set a disastrous example and undermine years of prevention campaigns against a virus that has infected up to six million South Africans - the highest number anywhere in the world.

Zuma, who is accused of raping a 31-year-old family friend at his home, said this week that the sex was consensual and initiated by the woman and that he did not use a condom because he believed the risk of contracting the disease was minimal for a man.