MPL, DA Constituency Head of Tembisa, Refiloe Nt’sekhe writes:
After reading your letter, “From the heart of a teenage girl“, I felt compelled to respond with extracts from a speech which I delivered in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature around World Aids Day in November 2014.
I wish to refer to the South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey.
What is particularly concerning is that the prevalence of HIV among females of ages 15 to 24 is four times higher than males in the same age group. In the same research, it was indicated that these same females were more likely to have sex with much older men.
Breaking these statistics even further, the HIV prevalence among teenage girls is eight times higher than that of boys. Black females aged between 20 and 34 are the most vulnerable to HIV. Married, faithful people have a lower incidence rate compared to those who are single.
Condom usage seems to have also been on the decline. The research indicated that more than half the people interviewed had never used a condom.
This indicates that because of access to ART, South Africans are becoming complacent when it comes to HIV prevention and therefore continue to engage in risky sexual practice which increases the rate of new infections.
12.4% or 1.5 million people living in Gauteng are HIV positive. This is a very big and real figure.
More research needs to be done to understand why our young girls find themselves in relationships with old men. Our girls need to have a full understanding of the risks involved in these kinds of relationships. Girls need to be empowered through education so they can get jobs and break the cycle of poverty.
There is a perception that young girls enter such relationships for financial reasons.
In conclusion, Gauteng needs to accelerate and implement social and behavioural change communication. It is imperative that the false sense of security by the availability of ARTs are dealt with.
