Almost a third of school girls in South Africa are HIV-positive

[RussiaPrussia]

This is very shocking :(

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiegel.de%2Fgesundheit%2Fdiagn ose%2Fsuedafrika-fast-ein-drittel-aller-schulmaedchen-ist-hiv-positiv-a-888924.html



This statistic is shocking: In South Africa, nearly one-third of all school girls HIV positive. This is a new statistic, the South African Minister of Health presented on Thursday. The government is called Sugar Daddy's fault.

Johannesburg - There are staggering figures, the South African Minister of Health announced now: 28 percent of all students in the country are HIV positive. But not only the high number of HIV-infected girl is frightening for Aaron Motsoaledi, but rather the fact that, in contrast, only four percent of the male students were infected with the HIV virus.

The conclusion from the numbers of the South African authorities, the Minister presented on Thursday, is for him to see:. "It's clear that it's not boys who sleep with these girls are old men," he is quoted as saying "Sowetan" .
Accordingly Motsoaledi unveiled the figures at a public meeting in Carolina in the South African province of Mpumalanga. Young girls should not hesitate to get involved with "sugar daddies," urged Motsoaledi, with men who pay for sexual services. The statistics indicate that in 2011 94.000 school girls were pregnant, the youngest. Already at the age of ten years Further 77,000 pupils had an abortion.

South Africa is among the countries with the highest HIV and AIDS rates in the world. According to official figures, there are six million people are infected with HIV, with a total population of 50 million. 2012 approximately 260,000 people died of complications from AIDS. The Ministry of Health recently had a program to combat the spread of HIV among schoolchildren started. These include a range of voluntary AIDS testing and condom distribution in schools.

Despite the fatal statistics researchers report repeatedly positive results in the fight against HIV and AIDS in South Africa : A recent study showed that improved antiviral agents against HIV infected people's lives - and the return on investment. Therefore stuck since the use of such drugs fewer people with the AIDS virus, in addition, the life expectancy of those affected increased significantly.

For the South African Minister but is not nearly enough. A study in the Eastern Cape had revealed last year, and girls around the age of twelve are forced to marry older HIV-positive men. Some believe that having sex with virgins to cure them. "By this means we no longer live," said Motsoaledi. "We must put an end to."

[Stefan]

Those statistics are insane. Also, why aren't they looking at other modes of transmission (non-sexually.) Certainly with such a high incidence there are indeed many children being infected through other means (possibly drug-use, if that is a problem?)

[StonyArabia]

Those statistics are insane. Also, why aren't they looking at other modes of transmission (non-sexually.) Certainly with such a high incidence there are indeed many children being infected through other means (possibly drug-use, if that is a problem?)

It's probably due to lack of hygiene and I would think that's the number one case of why this happening. Second it's also transmitted from the mothers to the daughters or sons, and of course drug use has a large role to play in it as well.

[Kazimiera]

Drug use isn't a problem because of most of these girls live in rural areas and don't do drugs. Yes, there is a drug problem in certain areas such as cities, but not in rural areas where the stats are the highest.

Secondly, its not because of lack of hygiene.

Thirdly, there has been a massive roll-out of anti-retrovirals in the past 10 years and it is making a huge different to mother-child transmission. The majority of babies born to mothers on ARV's are negative. Which is going to lead to another problem. We are going to have a whole generation of children without parents, because they are negative whilst their parents have died of HIV-related illness.

It is because many of these girls are raped in their villages by older men, and as the report says there is still this perception (especially in rural areas) that sleeping with a virgin will cure you of HIV. South Africa also has one of the biggest child and infant rape stats in the world, because of the illusion of curing AIDS. Also, another problem which leads to this is that many of these little girls lap up the attentions of taxi-drivers. Taxi drivers are seen as wealthy because they own a vehicle. So girls think that if they hang around with taxi drivers they will eventually marry him. The taxi-drivers, of course, encourage this because they get plenty of attention and sex and all they need to give in return is for a girl to drive around in his taxi each afternoon. But each taxi driver will have something like 5 girls.

[Kazimiera]

This is a South African taxi. Not the yellow cabs which drive in Europe and the US.

It is cool for young girls to be seen in these, because it is a sign of independence.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2009/6/8/1244479229710/TAXIS-PROTEST-001.jpg

[Kazimiera]

Also, there exists a culture of polygamy. Sleeping around with other women is not considered extremely taboo. The men play the "culture" card because as long as it benefits them they are happy. And from a young age, girls accept that the male is the stronger one and not to be questioned. If his decisions or actions are questioned, they get beaten up. So these women are literally beaten into submission whilst the men screw around with little girls.

[Graham]

The country is doomed, sorry if it was harsh.