A staggering 27,9% of pregnant women tested at government clinics last year were HIV positive, a slight increase on the previous year.

In KwaZulu-Natal a prevalence rate of 37,5% was recorded, followed by Mpumalanga’€™s 32,6%; Free State’€™s 30,1%; Gauteng’€™s 29,6% and Eastern Cape’€™s 27,1%.

The three remaining provinces showed prevalence rates below 20%, with Limpopo at 17,5%; Northern Cape 16,7% and the Western Cape 13,1%.

The Department of Health said the overall findings suggested that HIV prevalence was slowly stabilizing.

Women between the ages of 20 and 39 showed high prevalence rates with the highest in the age group 25 to 29 years ‘€“ 35,4%.

Lower prevalence rates were observed in women under 20 years ‘€“ 15,8%.

Based on the results of the 2003 antenatal survey, the Department of Health estimates that 5,6-million South Africans were HIV positive by the end of last year. This estimate includes 3,1-million women (15-49 years) and 2,4-million men (15-49 years), while 96 228 babies were infected.

Syphilis, generally acknowledged as a risk factor for HIV infection, continued its decline with the prevalence rate for 2003 recorded as 2,7%, slightly down on 2002’€™s rate of 3,2%.

Both the Northern Cape and Western Cape showed increases in the syphilis rate.

In terms of the age groups, the health department said that the observed rise in HIV prevalence in the 35 to 39 year age group may be due purely to the progression of age. That is, the 30-34 years age group with its high HIV prevalence rate had grown older, moving into the 35-39 year age group.

The Department acknowledged that even though the rate of increase had slowed, the survey findings showed that HIV and AIDS was still an important public health problem.