More women know their HIV status than men
Health & Fitness

More women know their HIV status than men

FIFTY percent of women have been tested for HIV and know their status compared to 40 percent of men, a Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) report has revealed.zimhiv

The revelation comes at a time when government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, is stepping up its efforts to promote voluntary counselling and testing for HIV, amid concerns that the current uptake of these services is too low.

The ministry’s target for 2015 is that 85 per cent of the population should have access to treatment and know their (HIV) status.

“The percentage of people aged 15-49 years who have been tested for HIV in the last 12 months and who know their results is 50,6 % for women and 40,3 % men respectively,” the Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014, final Report on HIV testing reads.

According to the survey 95, 2 % of women and 93, 5% of men respectively stated knowledge of places where they can HIV testing services.

The HIV prevalence rate remains static at 15 percent against a target of less than 10 percent by end of 2015.

Prevalence rate refers to the percentage of people infected with HIV in a population.

According to the report, 78 % of women aged 15-24 have never had sex compared to 61, 9 % men while 4, 1 % and 3, 9 % of women and men in the same age group have had sex before the age of 15.

The condom use at last sex among people with multiple sexual partners for the 15 to 49 year aged group was 49, 1 % and 43, 1 % for women and men respectively.

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