Almost 90% of HIV-positive pregnant women are also infected with herpes, according to a recent Health Sciences Research Council survey. [s]Health-e[/s] reports that for the first time, SA’s annual antenatal HIV survey also tested pregnant women in four provinces for herpes. Almost 19,000 were women tested in [b]Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal[/b], and the [b]Western[/b] and [b]Northern Capes[/b], and the average herpes infection rate was a massive 55.8%. But there was ‘exceedingly high herpes prevalence’ of almost 90% amongst women living with HIV. The herpes infection rate explodesexponentially according to age. Less than a third of 15- to 19-year-old women were infected (28.4%) but this leapt to almost two-thirds by the age of 25- to 29 (64.6%). HIV infection among pregnant women has stabilised at 29.5%, the same as in 2011. HIV prevalence is highest amongst women aged 30 to 34 years (42.8%). Eight of the 10 worst affected districts are in KZN. However, Gauteng’s [b]West Rand[/b] also features in the top 10 for the first time.
[link url=http://www.health-e.org.za/2014/05/28/huge-herpes-infections-women-hiv]Full Health-e report[/link]
[link url=http://www.hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageContent/4565/SABSSM%20IV%20LEO%20final.pdf]HSRC survey[/link]