Results from South Africa’s latest HIV prevalence survey shows some good news. There’s been a decrease in new HIV infections from 249 000 in 2017 to 232 400 in 2022. The number of people living with HIV has gone down from 7.9 million in 2017 to 7.8 million in 2022. 

This news is encouraging. But Professor Khangelani Zuma from the Human Sciences Research Council warns that there is still plenty of work to be done in the country’s HIV response. Zuma was speaking during a presentation at the International AIDS Conference in Germany last week.

“The HIV incidence [new infections] in South Africa is down but not eliminated. To have 630 people getting infected on a daily basis is still a concern. The number might look small but the impact is big. These are people who will need ARVs for the rest of their lives,” says Zuma who is the principal investigator of the HIV prevalence survey.

New infections are particularly high among adolescent girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49.  Women in these age groups have higher infection rates than their male counterparts. 

According to the survey in 2017, the estimated annual number of new infections among this group was 217 900 while in 2022 it was 205 400. 

“The risk of acquiring HIV is higher in females than it is in males. This is because during sexual contact  the risk of HIV transmission from males to females is higher than from females to male due to males’ biological makeup. Furthermore, males report more multiple sexual partners than females thus a single infected male with multiple partners is more likely to infect many women,” Zuma explains.

But women’s risks of HIV infection are driven by more than just biology. 

According to HSRC deputy executive director Dr Nompumelelo Zungu, the survey shows that many young people still engage in risky sexual behaviours. 

“Early sexual debut, multiple sexual partners and low condom use persist as key drivers of HIV. Age disparate sex is more prevalent among females as compared to males. Meanwhile, multiple partnerships are more prevalent in males as compared to females,” she says. 

A major area of concern is the decrease in condom use. 

“One of the challenges is that we have been having declining levels of condom use in the country. There hasn’t been an increase in the number of people using condoms but we are seeing a decline in condom use,” she says.

According to the survey, 40.9% of men were reported to be using condoms in 2017 and the number went down to 33.7% in 2022. There were 35.7% women who used condoms in 2017 and 29.9% in 2022.  The overall condom usage in the country went from 38.5% in 2017 to 31.8% in 2022.

Strides in HIV response 

According to Zuma, the survey results suggest advancement in the fight against the HIV epidemic in South Africa. 

“We see a decline in the number of new infections because people are put on treatment and they can’t transmit the virus. South Africa has recorded an increase in antiretroviral treatment coverage from 63.7% in 2017 to 80.9% in 2022. So far there are 5.7 million people living with HIV who are receiving ARTs. This is an increase from the 4.5 million people living with HIV who received treatment in 2017,” Zuma says. 

He says if more people are receiving treatment then chances of transmitting the virus will be reduced. 

“We are putting a dent in the new incidences. However, we have not done enough, we are just turning the curve,” he says. – Health-e News