Teen pregnancies, rape in the spotlight amid increasing HIV infections in young women
Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) chairperson Tamara Mathebula said HIV in pregnant females aged 15 to 24 had increased from 7.9% in 2012 to 20.6% in 2017 and even higher in 2020.
The epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV) is increasing the prevalence of HIV among young women in South Africa.
Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) chairperson Tamara Mathebula said HIV in pregnant females aged 15 to 24 had increased from 7.9% in 2012 to 20.6% in 2017 and even higher in 2020.
‘The country is experiencing a growing pregnancy rate among girls below the legal age of consent – 16 years. The CGE is of the view that the sexual abuse of young girls is playing a significant role in exposing them to HIV infections,’ explained Mathebula.
In 2017, Statistics South Africa reported that approximately 17% of girls aged 12 to 19 not attending an educational institution fell pregnant.
The Gauteng Department of Health recorded more than 23 000 teenage pregnancies between April 2020 and March 2021, with 934 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 giving birth.
‘The country should be concerned by these developments as they reveal a normalised and widespread statutory rape culture, which exposes young girls to the HIV epidemic,’ said Mathebula.
‘As the country commemorated World Aids Day (1 December), the commission will seek a meeting with the leadership of the South African Police Service (Saps) to understand what steps are being taken to fight the escalating scourge of statutory rape across the country.’
She said there is concern regarding the slow pace of processing DNA results by the forensic unit as this impacts the prosecution of GBV cases.
‘Research has shown there is a direct link between GBV and HIV, and failure to address this important connection not only robs survivors of justice in identifying their perpetrators, but also subjects them to secondary delays due to the unavailability of DNA results,’ she said.
