Youth and HIV and AIDS HIV and AIDS is a social issue that cuts across race, class and gender. Fast facts: • In South Africa, more than in any other country, an estimated 5.6 million people were living with the disease in 2009. • According to a UN Report, Opportunity in Crisis, launched on 1 June 2011 - an estimated 2 500 young people are newly infected with HIV daily. The report found that young women and adolescent girls faced a disproportionately higher risk of infection due to biological vulnerability, social inequality and exclusion. Globally young women make up more if than 60% of all young people living with HIV and AIDS - jumping to 72% in sub-Saharan Africa. • In South Africa, women and young people are most affected by HIV and AIDS. According to Lovelife the country continues to have the highest infection rate. • According to 2009 Lovelife research findings, 9% of the country’s youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are living with HIV and AIDS. • Among the HIV positive 15 – 24 age group, 77% of them are female. • 75% of HIV positive individuals were between the age of 20 and 24 years and 95% were African. • 59% of these lived in urban areas and 41% in rural areas. • A UN Report, Opportunity in Crisis, estimates that 5 million (4.3 million–5.9 million) young people (aged 15–24) and 2 million (1.8 million–2.4 million) adolescents (aged 10–19) were living with HIV in 2009. Although these young people could be found in countries on all continents, most of them lived in sub-Saharan Africa. • Globally, young women make up more than 60 per cent of all young people living with HIV; in sub-Saharan Africa their share jumps to 72 per cent. • The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) believes that HIV is a social issue that needs an integrated approach and is concerned by the fact that 36% - 56% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) have experienced loss of employment and 40% - 61% workplace discrimination, exclusion or forced disclosure of HIV status. The trade union is concerned about the fact that more than 90% of PLHIV are workers with infections concentrated among people of working 15 to 49 years.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 09:07:21 +0000