Number of New HIV Cases Increasing Among Married Women in Cambodia, "The World" Reports

The number of new HIV cases among married women in Cambodia is increasing, although public education campaigns and condom use have brought down prevalence among other high-risk groups in the country, "The World" -- a co-production of BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston -- reported on Friday. Cambodia has the highest number of HIV-positive adults in Southeast Asia given the size of its population. According to Geeta Sethi, country coordinator for UNAIDS, married women now account for almost half of all new HIV infections in the country, compared with 10% of all new infections six years ago. Health care workers are beginning to reach out to married couples and young single people through HIV/AIDS public awareness campaigns, which previously targeted high-risk populations such as commercial sex workers and soldiers, according to PRI. Some previous campaigns contained an "almost underlying message" that if women were faithful to their husbands they would not contract HIV, Sethi said, adding, "But clearly for all these women, that's not good enough" (Magistad, "The World," PRI, 2/25). The complete segment is available online in Windows Media.

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