See also:
» 18.11.2010 - Longer life in SA may reflect AIDS victory
» 18.07.2008 - Mandela frowns at gap between rich and poor
» 24.01.2008 - SA urged to introduce PMTCT
» 16.10.2007 - Africa's ARV treatment fails
» 03.09.2007 - Row over South African minister’s health turns sour
» 21.10.2004 - South Africans disapprove of homosexuals, abortion
» 14.06.2004 - "Funky, punchy condoms" for South Africa
» 20.05.2003 - AIDS: "Women live with exhaustion, grief and depression"











South Africa
Gender - Women | Health

"Alarming" HIV rise in young South African women

afrol News / SciDev.Net, 16 March - An "alarming" increase in new HIV infections in young South African women suggests that outreach strategies - such as condom use and abstinence programmes - are failing to curb high-risk behaviour among teenagers and young adults, say researchers.

The research, published in the March issue of the 'South African Medical Journal', suggests that poverty plays a significant role in increasing vulnerability to HIV.

Researchers sampled blood from nearly 16,000 South Africans. They found that women accounted for 90 percent of all new HIV infections in the 15–24 age group. In the 20–29 age group, women were six times more likely to be HIV positive than men of the same age.

People living in crowded slums had "by far" the highest incidence of HIV, followed by those living in isolated and under-resourced rural regions.

The study also indicates that the epidemic - at roughly 1,500 new infections a day - is expanding faster than has been estimated and planned for by the government. "These findings suggest that the current prevention campaigns do not have the desired impact, particularly among young women" said co-author Thomas Rehle of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in a statement.

The researchers identified other particularly vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, widowed women, and young children who had not been infected with mother-to-child transmission and may have been victims of sexual abuse.

The authors suggest that economic development - particularly for young women - will be as significant as government policies aimed at empowering them or giving access to anti-retroviral drugs.

On a more encouraging note, the message of condom use does seem to be getting through, according to HSRC researcher Victoria Pillay, co-author of the paper. Young men who reported using a condom the last time they had sex were far less likely to have HIV.

And a survey of 4,500 teenagers and young adults in Cape Town, carried out by the US-based University of Michigan and the University of Cape Town found that condom use by 18-year-old girls had increased dramatically from 62 percent to 75 percent between 2002 and 2005.


- Create an e-mail alert for South Africa news
- Create an e-mail alert for Gender - Women news
- Create an e-mail alert for Health news


 
    Printable version

On the Afrol News front page now


UN will not monitor human rights in Western Sahara

afrol News - The US has backed down on its demand that UN peacekeepers in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara also shall monitor the human rights situation after Moroccan sources threatened to scale down relations with Washington.
Central African Republic
Central African Republic falling apart

afrol News - One month after the rebel movement Séléka took over power in the Central African Republic, unrest is spreading in the country. The new leader lacks control of his forces, which continue looting and abusing civilians.
Kenya
Kenyatta secures tight victory in Kenya

afrol News - The official election results in Kenya have finally been announced, and Uhuru Kenyatta managed to win the first poll round outright with a narrow 50.7 percent. But the main opponent, PM Raila Odinga, is filing a vote rigging complaint to the courts.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde to produce dragon fruit

afrol News - Cape Verde authorities have invested large sums to diversify the arid country's agricultural sector. Now, the dragon fruit, originating in tropical America, is being introduced for the first commercial production in Africa.
Egypt
Even governors in Pharaonic Egypt died in their 20s

afrol News - Researchers have analysed more than 200 mummies from ancient Egypt, finding that even high dignitaries were poorly nourished and had infectious diseases. The typical governor in Pharaonic Egypt died before he was 30 years old.



front page | news | countries | archive | currencies | news alerts login | about afrol News | contact | advertise | español 

©  afrol News. Reproducing or buying afrol News' articles.

   You can contact us at mail@afrol.com