Incidence of HIV infection at the time of incident reporting, in victims of sexual assault, between 2000 and 2004, in Transkei, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Meel, B.L.
African Health Sciences 5(3): 207-212
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 1680-6905 PMID: 16245990 Document Number: 228223
HIV/AIDS epidemic and sexual assault have emerged as the most serious public health problems in South Africa. The country has about 5-million HIV infected individuals. About a million women are raped every year. To study the incidence of HIV infection in victims of sexual assaults. This is a retrospective descriptive study. There were 831 victims of sexual assault, who attended the Sinawe Centre during the 5-year (2000-2004) study period. Sinawe Centre is the only unit in this area which deals with cases of sexual assaults. Data were analyzed using PRISM R computer program. This is a retrospective descriptive study. There were 831 victims of sexual assault, who attended the Sinawe Centre during the 5-year (2000-2004) study period. Sinawe Centre is the only unit in this area which deals with cases of sexual assaults. Data were analyzed using PRISM R computer program. Eight hundred and thirty one cases of sexual assaults (rape) were reported in last 5-years (2000-2004). Increase in sexual assaults by three-times, and one-and-half-fold increase in HIV seropositivity has recorded over the period of 5 years. In 2000, 76 (9.7%) sexual assault cases were registered, and in 2004, 237 (28.5%) cases. Of them, 443 (53.3%) were children under 15-years of age. A total of 114 (13.7%) tested positive for HIV, and 23 (2.7%) were children less than 15 years. In 2000, only 8 (10.5%) tested positive for HIV, and this had climbed to 39 (16.5%) in 2004. There is significant difference in HIV seropositivity among children compared to adults, p<0.05, and Paired t=3.45 with 3df. There is an increasing incidence of HIV infection among victims of sexual assaults in this study.