Statistics from the 2013 UNAIDS report show that South Africa has one of the largest HIV prevalence rates in the world. Among those infected with HIV are hundreds of thousands of children. Millions more have been orphaned by AIDS.
6.3 million South Africans are living with HIV. 360,000 of them are children.
19.1% of adults aged 15 to 49 are HIV positive.
5,900,000 adults aged 15 and up living with HIV.
3,500,000 women aged 15 and up living with HIV.
200,000 deaths due to AIDS.
HIV prevalence in South Africa is 17.9% compared to an average of 5% in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa and less than 1% worldwide.
AIDS was responsible for 35% of deaths in children under the age of five in 2010 there, and it is the leading cause of death for women with children.
Nearly 13.9% of women in South Africa between the ages of 15 and 24 are HIV-positive, as are nearly 3.9% of men in the same age group.
90.9% of the 16.6 million children who have lost their parents to AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa.
As a result, there are 2,400,000 orphaned children (aged 0-17) living in South Africa who lost their parents to AIDS.
The Impact on children beyond the trauma of the death of a parent, children orphaned by AIDS are subject to stigma and discrimination, abuse, and exploitation. They are also at higher risk for contracting HIV. Children affected by AIDS are more likely than their peers to:
lag behind in both communication and decision-making skills
be depressed and/or aggressive
abuse drugs or alcohol
be expected to work to earn money rather than attend school
be the victims of sexual abuse, enter the sex trade, and/or engage in sexual activities at a younger age
Education and Empowerment are key to preventing infection. Currently fewer than half of young people in South Africa are able to correctly answer five simple questions about HIV and how it is spread. However, access to curriculum-based sex and HIV education programs is a powerful tool for prevention. Many adolescents who participate in curriculum-based HIV education programs experience delayed or decreased sexual behavior and/or increased condom use.
Studies that track youth who have participated in these educational programs have demonstrated that young people’s behavior can be changed for the long term
Young women who are empowered in their relationships are less likely to contract HIV. In South Africa, a study has shown that HIV infection rates are higher among young women who are in abusive relationships with men.
Programs for children and adolescents are most effective when they include life skills, especially those that enhance their ability to refuse sex, insist on condom use, and avoid unsafe situations.