Journal of
AIDS and HIV Research

  • Abbreviation: J. AIDS HIV Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2359
  • DOI: 10.5897/JAHR
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 298

Full Length Research Paper

Are HIV positive women who have sex with women (WSW) an unrecognized and neglected HIV risk group in South Africa?

Allanise Cloete
  • Allanise Cloete
  • Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Private Bag X 9182, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Nadia Sanger
  • Nadia Sanger
  • Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Private Bag X 9182, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Leickness C. Simbayi
  • Leickness C. Simbayi
  • Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Private Bag X 9182, Cape Town, South Africa.
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  •  Accepted: 30 November 2010
  •  Published: 31 January 2011

Abstract

South Africa is home to the largest population of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Of this population gender non-conforming women like women who have sex with women (WSW) remain undocumented. This study is an attempt to fill this information gap as it describes the demographic, health and sexual behaviours of 72 HIV positive WSW. The data indicate that WSW are not protected from HIV because of their same sex desires. These findings suggest the need to include WSW as a most at risk group for both HIV prevention and treatment programmes.

 

Key words: Women who have sex with women (WSW), lesbians, HIV positive, corrective rape, female-to-female transmission of HIV, South Africa.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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