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Fieldworkers will test 60,000 to gauge HIV prevalence in SA

South Africa launched the fifth Human Sciences Research Council study of South Africa's HIV prevalence, in which 60‚000 people will have blood taken by fieldworkers to measure their HIV status, reports The Times.

The study is called the SA HIV Prevalence‚ Incidence‚ Behaviour and Communication Survey. Researchers want South Africans to be ready to open their doors for fieldworkers to come in and do anonymous HIV tests and ask questions.

The field workers will be both taking blood and asking questions in 15‚000 households. The data from the huge effort will help the country understand what is "driving the HIV epidemic" in the country and evaluate South Africa's response to HIV thus far‚ said lead investigator Geoff Setswe.

"We want to make the public aware that we will be knocking at their households and that there is a study‚" said CEO of the Human Sciences Research Council Professor Craig Soudien. Soudien said: "Someone comes and takes your blood…you can imagine how difficult that encounter is (A field worker) begins to ask questions about their behaviour.. it is intrusive."

But the report says, the study is very important. Researchers want to see if people are developing drug resistance to antiretrovirals. They will also use the blood taken to measure the viral load (amount of virus in blood) of HIV infected people to see what percentage people are on antiretroviral treatment and if it is working.

It is important to measure how many HIV-positive people have a suppressed viral load because this shows if people are using ARVs correctly. "If we collect one drop blood‚ we make miracles and turn it into ten drops (to measure different things)‚" said Setswe.

The report says participants will be asked questions on drug use‚ condom use‚ circumcision status if they are ale‚ their perceptions of health system and if they have tested for HIV before. Questions will also look at their perceptions if they are at risk of HIV or not.

"This data over years has provided an important gauge of the health status of South Africans‚" said Setswe. The results help the government fund and plan efforts to both treat and prevent HIV based on accurate data. "What the (previous) work has done has shown us the scale of the problem in the country‚" said Soudien.

The report says the work is a population-based study with workers visiting 1‚457 specified areas spread out across the country to give a nationally representative picture of the country's infection rates. It will take between seven months and nine months to gather data.

The previous studies were done in 2002‚ 2005‚ 2008 and 2012 and all the data helps researchers map trends in HIV infections. Unicef‚ the US government‚ the Global Fund ‚ the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Gauteng province are among the funders.

[link url="http://www.timeslive.co.za/scitech/2017/02/21/Open-your-doors-for-HIV-tests1"]The Times report[/link]

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