Report from SAfAIDS Discussion Forum-August 2000
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Dear Colleagues,
Please find attached a newsflash from SAFAIDS's discussion forum that
was held in August. I hope you can use some of the information in
your programmes.
SAfAIDS Newsflash will be coming out every two months.
Yours Sincerely,
Cecilia Mhiti
Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAFAIDS)
17 Beveridge Road, Avondale
P O Box A509, Avondale
Harare / Zimbabwe
Tel: +263-4-336-193/4 +263-4-307-898
Fax: +263-4-336-195
mailto:cecilia@safaids.org.zw
http://www.safaids.org
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Large Age Differences Between Sexual Partners Fuel the HIV/AIDS Epi-
demic in Manicaland, Zimbabwe
A major study of HIV and associated sexual behaviour patterns has re-
cently been completed in areas of Mutasa, Makoni and Nyanga districts
in Manicaland/Zimbabwe. Preliminary results are currently being dis-
seminated at local and national levels [S. Gregson et al.].
Fieldwork for the research was undertaken between July 1998 and Janu-
ary 2000. A total of almost 10,000 people aged between 15 and 54 par-
ticipated in the survey - roughly half being less than 25 years old.
The study was conducted by the Biomedical Research and Training In-
stitute in conjunction with Oxford University and with support from
the Ministry of Health in Manicaland, Family AIDS Caring Trust (Mu-
tare), the NACP, UNAIDS and PLAN International.
PRINCIPAL RESEARCH FINDINGS
1. As in the rest of Zimbabwe, HIV prevalence is extremely high in
Manicaland (24%). Even in the most rural communal areas HIV preva-
lence is 20%
2. If current levels of HIV infection persist, fifteen year-old boys
and girls each have roughly a 60%chance of contracting HIV infection
at some time before they reach age 50.
3. Currently, more women (28%overall) than men (19%) are infected
with HIV. This is the case in towns, in commercial farming estates
and in communal areas.
4. However, this is probably because:
(i) more men with HIV have already died and
(ii) women are typically 10 years younger when they become in-
fected than men.
5. Almost 20% of women aged 17-24 are already HIV-positive compared
to 5% of men of the same age.
6. The latter is because women are more easily infected biologically
but also because the male partner in any relationship is generally
several years older than the female partner. Thus, young women are
more likely to have sex with a partner who is already infected than
men of similar age.
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