What ‘The Polygamist’ gets wrong about HIV - and what would save lives in real life
A health analyst critiques the Netflix drama 'The Polygamist' for its inaccurate portrayal of HIV and AIDS. The author argues that the show perpetuates harmful stigma by suggesting that HIV is an automatic death sentence, ignoring modern medical advancements like antiretroviral treatment.
Why it matters
Misinformation in popular media can discourage individuals from seeking life-saving medical treatment and reinforce social stigma surrounding HIV.
Like millions of others, I binge-watched The Polygamist , the Netflix drama based on Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi’s novel. For readers who have not seen it, here’s the storyline.
Jonasi Gomora is a wealthy, respected businessman with many wives and secret partners. He contracts HIV, cannot bring himself to accept the diagnosis, hides it, refuses treatment, and eventually dies of an Aids-related illness. His death is the engine of the whole story.
I have thoughts about everything the show touches on, from the lies to the marriages to the performance of wealth, but I want to be clear about my vantage point and its limits. I am not commenting on all of its themes, nor am I avoiding them. I am deliberately choosing to look at this through a specific lens, because it is where I work: the sexual and mental health of black Africans.
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