Rwanda: Young Women and Girls Face Higher HIV Risk - UN Report

Young women and girls are more than twice as likely to contract HIV as young men and boys, a new report indicates.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report notes that nearly 98,000 adolescent females worldwide tested positive for the virus in 2022.

Experts suggest that cultural attitudes, gender discrimination, and socioeconomic factors are contributing to the spread of HIV among women aged 10-19, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the report, 384 females between the ages of 10 and 19 test positive for HIV every day across the globe.

UNICEF indicates that approximately 87 per cent of HIV-positive children between the ages of 0 and 14, and 82 of HIV-positive adolescents aged 10 to 19 live in sub-Saharan Africa.

This is likely due to the increased vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women to forced sex (14.7 per cent to 38.9 per cent of sexual debut is forced in seven sub-Saharan African countries) and economic circumstances that may lead to young women trading sex for money or food.

Experts say that cultural attitudes, gender discrimination, and socioeconomic factors play a role in the spread of HIV among women, and suggest the need for more awareness and better access to HIV treatment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that forced sexual initiation is associated with being unmarried, violence victimisation, risky sexual behaviours, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and poor mental health.

Early sexual debut was associated with lower education, marriage, ever witnessing parental intimate partner violence during childhood, risky sexual behaviours, and less HIV testing.

The report notes that nearly half of the 1.5 million children living with HIV were still not getting antiretroviral treatment. Coverage was 77 per cent among adults (15 years and older) but only 57 per cent among children (0-14 years).

UNICEF's goal is to have that percentage down to 10 per cent by 2025, which indicates the amount of awareness that must be raised and implemented.

This article originally appeared on AllAfrica.