In South Africa, HIV and AIDS have wreaked havoc on the population causing infection and subsequent death on a large scale. Compared to other countries in the world, South Africa has among one of the highest prevalence of HIV/AID infection topping off at around 20.1% or greater in sub-Saharan Africa (Booysen & Summerton, 2002). While HIV infection can occur because of a variety of causes including blood transfusions, to a child via his/her mother and using unsanitary practices such as needle sharing, by far the most common mode of transmission in South Africa is via sexual contact. Because HIV and AIDS are spread from person to person in societies where there is a higher prevalence of the disease it is also much more likely to spread and often does so even more quickly than in other parts of the world with a lower rate (Jewkes, Sikweyiya, Morrell & Dunkle, 2009). The disease is extremely dangerous and causes the infected individual’s autoimmune system to systematically attack the body. Due to the high rate of infection and deadly consequences of HIV, the government in South Africa has never been more motivated to find the best methods of treating individuals who have already contracted HIV as well as making attempts to reduce the overall spread of HIV. As unprotected sexual intercourse is a huge component in the spread of HIV much of the research into slowing its spread involves educating the population to engage in safer sexual practices. Unfortunately, communicating this simple message is actually much more complicated than it might seem at surface level. Thus, to better understand the problem of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, one must first consider which factors might hinder communication between the government, medical professionals and the general population in need of help.
There are several confounding factors in Africa that make the population particularly at risk for developing high levels of AIDS. Some have even argued that high rates of poverty show a correlation with a higher risk of AIDS. There are several ways to approach this research question. One such study in 2002 considered women living in a low socioeconomic class. It revealed that these women did indeed engage in riskier sexual practices including not using protection, i.e. a condom, and/or having sexual relations with a casual acquaintance, a stranger and/or sex worker (Booysen & Summerton, 2002). While the effect of this promiscuity on the rate of AIDS contraction in the study was not statistically significant, the research was limited in several ways. For example, because men were not included in the context of the study, nor could the researcher control for which men participants were with, there are some issues with generalizing this study to the larger question at hand. In addition, the researchers made no mention of how they picked the women for their study, which could lead to some selection bias. As such, it is important to compare this study with other similar works.

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Much of the other available research that does relate promiscuity and unsafe sexual practices with HIV and AIDS has been more strongly in support of a statistical relationship between the two (Kalichman & Simbayi, 2003; Pettifor, Measham, Rees & Padian, 2004). However, there may be other cultural and religious factors at play in South Africa that also may have affected results on the aforementioned study. In some cultures more than others, sexuality is seen as a private or even sordid affair that is not spoken of to others. Ironically, there may be more people engaging in unsafe sexual practices that are more scared of talking about these relations than seeking help for HIV or even lifesaving forms of treatment. This may be particularly problematic in cultures of a lower socioeconomic status who may live in areas that are more judgmental of sexuality or with religious practices that do not allow for sex before marriage. For example, high populations of Christians in Africa choose to avoid birth control largely because of religious beliefs (Pettifor, Measham, Rees & Padian, 2004). That is not to say that there are no impoverished people who may wish to learn more about HIV. However, lacking transportation and subsequently a limited access to clinics that provide education about HIV may continue to put these individuals at a disadvantage (Jewkes, Sikweyiya, Morrell & Dunkle, 2009). They may not even be able to participate in the very research that is trying to help them. One of the most upsetting categories of this are the high incidence of women who are raped in South Africa. Many studies exclude these women, instead considering promiscuity as a willingness to have sex. Because there is such an unfortunately high incidence of rape in South Africa, it is extremely important that this population be taken into consideration as well (Pettifor, Measham, Rees & Padian, 2004). There are so many complex issues at play in South Africa, all requiring careful thought to rip from the land at the roots.

Scholars have not given up on this issue. Instead it may take creativity to better understand how to help people with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Some research studies have considered whether or not education about health, wellness and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases have been able to protect those individuals who are exposed to it (Pettifor, Measham, Rees & Padian, 2004). While some strides have been made in these areas and education about HIV/AIDS is on the forefront of many peoples’ minds, there is no consistent way to introduce these plans into communities that might be fearful or opposed to sexuality. There are few actual curriculums in place and tested that can really address the cultural complexity in South Africa. Despite this it is extremely important that people continue to increase education about HIV and AIDS.

    References
  • Booysen, F. R & Summerton, J. (2002). Poverty, risk sexual behavior and vulnerability to HIV infection: evidence from South Africa. J Health Population & Nutrition, 20(4): 285-288.
  • Jewkes, R., Sikweyiya, Y., Morrell, R., & Dunkle, K. (2009). Understanding men’s health and use of violence: interface of rape and HIV in South Africa. Cell, 82(442), 3655.
  • Kalichman, S. C., & Simbayi, L. C. (2003). HIV testing attitudes, AIDS stigma, and voluntary HIV counselling and testing in a black township in Cape Town, South Africa. Sexually transmitted infections, 79(6), 442-447.
  • Pettifor, A. E., Measham, D. M., Rees, H. V., & Padian, N. S. (2004). Sexual power and HIV risk, South Africa. Emerging infectious diseases, 10(11), 1996-2004.