HIV-Positive Muppet Comes to Life in South Africa
GUPTA: One out of every nine South Africans is infected with HIV -- of course, that's the virus that causes AIDS, and that's the highest ratio of any country in the world. Despite the dire statistics, the country has been criticized for its ineffectual approach to confronting this epidemic. But as CNN's Charlayne Hunter- Gault reports, a novel approach aimed at South Africa's youngest residents may have a big impact.</s>CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Kami, the newest muppet on the block of "Takalani Sesame Street," South Africa's version of the U.S.-based "Sesame Street." Kami and the guys she's playing hide-and-seek with are no different from their American counterparts, except 5-year-old Kami is infected with the AIDS virus, the first HIV-positive muppet on TV. And she gets tired faster than the others.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been running around for a long time now. I think I need to rest a little.</s>HUNTER-GAULT: "Good idea," says one muppet. "Let's join Kami in a resting game."</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, let's go, guys.</s>HUNTER-GAULT: And that's the point.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to achieve a degree of understanding and empathy around the issue of HIV and AIDS that transcends where we are at the moment. So that if kids and caregivers and parents have a better understanding of the humanity of a child that is dealing with HIV and AIDS, then that would be a great thing.</s>HUNTER-GAULT: Kami's creators introduce her status gently.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the memory box that my mom made for me before she died of</s>AIDS. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what do you do with a memory box?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I look at all the beautiful things inside my memory box when I want to remember all the good times I had with my mother.</s>HUNTER-GAULT: These children clearly enjoyed Kami's debut, but her HIV status?</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: I can play</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It can open, you know, a door about the things that they are going to learn later.</s>HUNTER-GAULT: Back on "Takalani Sesame Street," I asked Kami, whose name means acceptance, if she had three wishes, what would they be? "</s>KAMI": I wish my mom was still alive. I wish there was no more HIV and AIDS. And I wish everyone was happy and kind.</s>HUNTER-GAULT (on camera): Little Kami has a big job ahead of her, but if she's embraced by the children of the nation, then there's at least a fighting chance that in time, two of her wishes could come true. Charlayne Hunter-Gault, CNN, Takalani Sesame Street, Capetown, South Africa.</s>GUPTA: Now let's turn to our e-mail bag and answer some of your questions. Our first question is from Todd in San Diego, California. He wants to know about nonsurgical treatments for baldness. Well, Todd, going bald at a young age can certainly be upsetting. AS you may know, the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women is hereditary. Unfortunately, for the 40 million American men and 20 million women affected, this type of hair loss is harder to treat than hair loss caused by disease, medications, or damage to the hair. The two proven anti-hair loss therapies for men with hereditary hair loss are the lotion Monoxidon (ph), which is available over the counter, and a tablet Fenosteride (ph), which is available only with a doctor's prescription. Now, while Monoxidon (ph) is safe and effective for women, Fenosteride (ph) doesn't work for women and can actually cause birth defects in pregnant women. Both products must be used for a period of several months before any noticeable improvements are seen, and both are lifelong commitments. Stopping therapy almost always causes any new growth to fall out. Also, people taking these medications shouldn't expect to regrow a full head of hair. Visit a board-certified dermatologist to make sure that your hair loss is due to heredity and not illness, and to also learn more about other options. And our second question comes to us from Morly in Regina, Canada, who writes that he suffers from side effects caused by a Statin drug that he's taking and wants to know what can be done. Well, Morly, you're not alone. Statin drugs are very effective in lower cholesterol, but they do carry risks -- risks such as headache, abdominal cramping, maybe even tingling in your hands and your feet. I urge you to talk to your doctor about any side effects you may be experiencing. Only he or she is in a position to rule out any serious complications that might require more immediate action. At the very least, your doctor can see about reducing your dose, or maybe switching you to another Statin. Good luck. For more information about anything we covered in the past half- hour, just go to our Web site. That's at cnn.com/yourhealth, and please, don't forget to send us your "Ask the Doctor" e-mails. Keep those coming. That address, yourhealth -- one word -- @cnn.com. Thanks for joining us. I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and until next week, remember, your health -- there's nothing more important. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com Look at Runaway Teens; HIV-Positive Muppet Comes to Life in South Africa>