HIV prevalence high among teenagers: CeSHHAR

Zim Now Writer

HIV prevalence is high among teenagers aged between 16 and 19 years, while over 57 percent of sex workers in Zimbabwe’s hotspot areas are HIV positive, the Centre for Sexual Health, HIV and Aids Research (CeSHHAR) has said.

This comes as another study by the National Aids Council (Nac), Health and Child Care ministry and Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network, also showed that the capital, Harare, leads the red-light districts with a high rate of sex workers at above 36 percent.

Speaking at a Nac-organised symposium in Harare yesterday, CeSHHAR statistician Sungai Chabata said his organisation has initiated a programme that focuses on containing HIV incidences among sex workers.

“HIV prevalence is high among sex workers in Zimbabwe, and it’s estimated at 57 percent and it rises with age. One of the studies that we have done demonstrated that HIV prevalence can be about 2 percent among 16-year-olds, and rises steeply to 22 percent among 19-year-olds, which is an indication of high incidence which is estimated to be ranging from 4 percent to 10 percent, which is rather five times more than in the general population,” Chabata said.

He added that CeSHHAR has started rolling out education campaigns targeting sex workers with the aim of enlightening them on interventions such the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), as well as other means in preventing HIV infections.

“We have started a programme that focuses on sex workers . . . We conduct community mobilisation meetings and night outreaches.”

Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) figures show that women constitute the biggest chunk of unemployed people in the country at 59,6 percent and several of them are turning to sex work as an alternative to make ends meet.