Concern over HIV infection rate

AS SOUTH Africa observes World Aids Day today, the Treatment Action Campaign

(TAC) said it was concerned about the high number of young people, including those in high school, who were becoming infected with HIV/Aids.

TAC chairperson Sibongile Tshabalala told The Star that more than 60 000 young people were exposed to HIV/Aids annually in South Africa.

Most concerning was the high number of high school learners who were getting infected.

World Aids Day is observed annually around the world to show solidarity with the millions of people living with HIV and to raise awareness about the pandemic’s current status in order to encourage HIV prevention, treatment and care.

Tshabalala said the TAC had learned that young people as young as 16 were getting exposed to the disease but were afraid of getting treatment in health care centres because of stigmatisation.

“They are afraid because nurses at the clinic would have comments for them and they would ask them why they got infected at such a young age,” Tshabalala said.

“The TAC is actually calling for a youthfriendly strategy for dealing with HIV,” she said.

Tshabalala proposed that PrEP (preexposure prophylaxis) be made available to young people in order to reduce the number of young people infected.

“PrEP is there, but there is not enough information given to people about it to stop the disease from spreading.

“We do not need so many young people being infected,” Tshabalala said.

She said some of the reasons for high infection rates among young people were transactional sex, risky behaviour and ignorance.

“Older men are sleeping with younger women. It’s a mess, and we need young people to come forward and tell us what they think the response to this problem is. Poverty also plays a role,” Tshabalala said.

She said the experience was worse for young gay men who were afraid of being tested for HIV and receiving treatment.

“They are victimised from the gate when they walk in by the security and then also by the nurses because people still think HIV is a gay disease.

“And most of the guys in this community prefer testing in private and taking medication in private.”

She said that while infection rates had dropped in South Africa, HIV/Aids was still a big concern.

“We are now facing a situation where funders no longer want to fund the response to HIV.

“The disease is still there; it’s not over. We need to refocus and redirect the response,” Tshabalala said.