All major human trafficking hot-spots in South Africa can be found in Gauteng – Photo: Adobe Stock
World AIDS Day: Rape survivors at greater risk of HIV infection
The Rape Impact Cohort Evaluation (RICE) study enrolled 1 019 HIV negative women and found that among those who were raped, there was a 60% increased likelihood of contracting HIV
All major human trafficking hot-spots in South Africa can be found in Gauteng – Photo: Adobe Stock
As the global community commemorates World AIDS Day on Tuesday, 1 December 2020, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has revealed that women rape survivors were at greater risk of contracting HIV. The Council has attributed this to the long-term negative impact of survivors’ mental health and well-being, driven by structural and societal factors. These factors increase the victims’ vulnerability to being infected.
These are just some of the findings ontained in the Rape Impact Cohort Evaluation (RICE) study conducted by the SAMRC’s Gender and Health Research Unit (GHRU).
The study is based on women aged between 16 and 40, who sought care for rape in the Durban metro region from 2014 to 2019.
“The women were interviewed and had their HIV status assessed at regular intervals, and were followed up alongside a comparison group of women, who reported that they had never been raped,” the SAMRC said.
More intensive support needed for rape survivors to prevent HIV spread
In total, the study enrolled 1 019 HIV negative women and found that among those who were raped, there was a 60% increased likelihood of contracting HIV, compared to women who had not been raped.
GHRU director and lead researcher, Professor Naeemah Abrahams, said the results were important for understanding what health care and support should be provided to women after rape.
“Our services have always focused on giving post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent HIV infections from the rape incident, but this is the first time we have shown with research that much more intensive support for survivors after rape is needed,” Abrahams said.
Abrahams said the RICE study was the first longitudinal cohort study in the world to compare rape survivors and a control group of women to explore the relationship between rape and HIV over a period of time.
South Africa has the biggest HIV epidemic in the world, with 7.7 million people living with the virus. The country accounts for a third of all new HIV infections in southern Africa. In 2018, there were 240 000 new HIV infections and 71 000 South Africans died from AIDS-related illnesses, research shows.
Rape is considered rampant in South Africa, with police estimating that a woman is raped every 36 seconds.
