Survey Finds 29% of Pregnant Women in South Africa Are HIV Positive

"About 29 percent of South African pregnant women were living with HIV in 2009," according to the findings of a survey (.pdf), released by South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi last week, IRIN/PlusNews reports (11/12). "The survey showed [that among pregnant women in the country,] HIV has remained constant at around 29 percent in the past four years," according to a BuaNews press release (11/11). "Prevalence among 15-24 year-olds also remained the same as in 2008 at 21.7 percent. ... In 2009, an estimated 41.5 percent of pregnant women aged 30 to 34 were living with HIV, up from 40.4 percent in 2008 and 39.6 percent in 2007. In the 35-39 age group, prevalence increased by 6 percent over four years to reach 35.4 percent in 2009," IRIN/PlusNews reports. According to the news service, the authors of the survey "point out that 'most, if not all of the increases in recent years can be attributed to the increase in survival of those on ARVs' [antiretroviral drugs]" (11/12).

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