Incidence of HIV infection at the time of incident reporting, in victims of sexual assault, between 2000 and 2004, in Transkei, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
BACKGROUND
HIV/AIDS epidemic and sexual assault have emerged as the most serious public health problems in South Africa. The country has about 5-million HIV infected individuals. About a million women are raped every year.


OBJECTIVE
To study the incidence of HIV infection in victims of sexual assaults.


METHODS
This is a retrospective descriptive study. There were 831 victims of sexual assault, who attended the Sinawe Centre during the 5-year (2000-2004) study period. Sinawe Centre is the only unit in this area which deals with cases of sexual assaults. Data were analyzed using PRISM R computer program.


METHODS
This is a retrospective descriptive study. There were 831 victims of sexual assault, who attended the Sinawe Centre during the 5-year (2000-2004) study period. Sinawe Centre is the only unit in this area which deals with cases of sexual assaults. Data were analyzed using PRISM R computer program.


RESULTS
Eight hundred and thirty one cases of sexual assaults (rape) were reported in last 5-years (2000-2004). Increase in sexual assaults by three-times, and one-and-half-fold increase in HIV seropositivity has recorded over the period of 5 years. In 2000, 76 (9.7%) sexual assault cases were registered, and in 2004, 237 (28.5%) cases. Of them, 443 (53.3%) were children under 15-years of age. A total of 114 (13.7%) tested positive for HIV, and 23 (2.7%) were children less than 15 years. In 2000, only 8 (10.5%) tested positive for HIV, and this had climbed to 39 (16.5%) in 2004. There is significant difference in HIV seropositivity among children compared to adults, p<0.05, and Paired t=3.45 with 3df.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an increasing incidence of HIV infection among victims of sexual assaults in this study.
Meel
B L
BL
Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Transkei, Umtata. meel@getafix.utr.ac.za
D000293:Adolescent; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011902:Rape / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology