Some poor, rural HIV-positive people in Swaziland are eating cow dung before taking their antiretroviral (ARV) treatment because taking the medications on an empty stomach can worsen side effects, PlusNews reports. The Swaziland National Network of People Living With AIDS confirmed the story after a member of parliament reported firsthand knowledge of the practice. The country is in the middle of a financial crisis, which has caused a food shortage and threatened its supply of ARVs. Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. One in four Swazis between ages 15 and 49 live with HIV in a population of about 1 million.

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