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01 December 2005

Factsheet 3 : Children with HIV and exposure to risk of infection.

Sue
Press Release

The figures show that South African children have a high HIV prevalence. In the 2-4 age group, 4.9% of boys and 5.3% of girls are HIV positive, translating into an estimated 129 621 children. In the slightly older age group of 5-9, 4.2% of boys and 4.8% of girls have HIV – an estimated 214 102 children, and in the 10-14 age group, this figure drops to 1.6% among boys and 1.8% among girls.

Most children in this group are likely to have been HIV positive from birth, but the incidence data suggests other factors, which could include a breakdown in infection control in healthcare facilities, or sexual abuse.

The researchers of the study were not in the position to make any specific findings about child sexual abuse, but the Children’s Report South African National HIV Survey by Brookes, Shisana & Richter, based on the 2002 household survey, established that children are at risk for contracting HIV through a number of sources, besides mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy and early infancy. These include within homes, schools and communities.

Risks associated within the home include sexual abuse, and the levels of care and protection afforded to children within the home. Schools and communities can also be unsafe, especially for children who may be unsupervised in going between school and home.

Risk environments. Poverty, types of housing settlements, businesses run from home and exposure to alcohol and drugs all contribute to increasing risk for children to sexual abuse because such environments diminish protection and increase exposure to negative consequences.

Of the households surveyed, at least 12% run businesses from home. The majority of these businesses are informal spaza shops. Among children aged 12-14 years, one in ten children reported exposure to someone taking drugs and slightly over a third (36%) were exposed to someone who got drunk at least once a month.

Care and protection of children at home and at school is essential to preventing sexual abuse and HIV transmission. A little under half of children aged 2-11 years are often or sometimes sent out on errands alone. Among 12-14 year olds, this proportion reaches 77.7%.

A little less than one-third of children aged 2-11 years are allowed outside the home yard without adult supervision, while the corresponding figure for children aged 12-14 years is 57.1%. A substantial number of children are left alone at home, and the percentage increases with age, from 11.7% of children aged 2-11 years to almost half of the children aged 12-14 years, with more males likely to be left alone at home.

Over a quarter of children aged 2-11 years are left in the care of a girl 15 years or younger (26.1%), while 44.8% of children aged 12-14 years are left alone in the care of a male non-family member. Over a third of girls and over a half of boys aged 12-14 years are left in the care of a male family member.

A key area of risk for children is travelling to and from school. Just over one-quarter of children aged 2-11 years travelled to school on their own or with older siblings, while 17-18% reported going to school and returning unaccompanied. In the age group 12-14, about 40% of children went to school and returned unaccompanied. The vast majority of children (68.1%) aged 2-11, travelled to and from school of foot, and this increases to 72% for children aged 12-14.

Given that children spend a considerable part of their daily lives in school, it is critical that such environments are safe for children. Table 3.96 and 3.97 shows that sexual harassment at schools is a serious problem. Three out of ten children surveyed reported that boys sexually harass girls and 8% reported that male educators propose relationships with girl pupils.

Table 3.96: Sexual harassment at school of children aged 12-14 years, South Africa 2005

Sexual harassment n Always/often/ sometimes % Never % No information %
Boys sexually harass girls by touching, threatening or making rude remarks to them 1 599 31 48 21
Girls sexually harass boys by touching, threatening or making rude remarks to them 1 599 19.9 57.7 22.3
Male educators propose relationships with girl pupils 1 598 8.3 53.3 38.5
Female educators propose relationships with boy pupils 1 598 4.4 56.1 39.6
Teachers propose relationships with pupils of the same sex 1 598 3.8 53.8 42.5

Table 3.97: Sexual harassment at school of female children aged 12-14 years, South Africa 2005

Sexual harassment n Always/often/sometimes % Never % No information %
Boys sexually harass girls by touching, threatening, or making rude remarks        
Total 1 551 31.9 49.5 18.5
Female 809 32.4 50.9 16.7
Male 742 31.5 47.9 20.5
Male educators propose relationships with girls        
Total 1 550 8.5 54.9 36.6
Female 809 9.5 55.9 34.5
Male 742 7.3 53.8 38.9

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