Thread by @ermbates

#HIVAIDSurvey On Morning News Today with @UvekaR and @danmoyane I spoke about *some* of the findings in the comprehensive fifth South African National HIV/AIDS Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey, based on 33,000 interviews over roughly a year.

#HIVAIDSurvey The full report will be available, I have been told, by the time of the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands next week. On Morning News Today, we discussed just some of the findings, and @UvekaR asked about Gauteng statistics.

#HIVAIDSurvey Based on the key findings of this survey, HIV prevalence among adults was (according to @HSRCza's data):

Eastern Cape 25.2%
Free State 25.5%
Gauteng 17.6%
KwaZulu-Natal 27%
Limpopo 17.2%
Mpumalanga 22.8%
Northern Cape 13.9%
North West 22.7%
Western Cape 12.6%

#HIVAIDSSurvey On the @HSRCza's latest report, KwaZulu-Natal leads in terms of HIV prevalence among adults (aged 15 to 49 years) while the Western Cape has the lowest prevalence.

#HIVAIDSurvey The report also indicates that viral load suppression among people living with HIV is "highest among older adults" with 74.6% of female respondents aged 45 to 49 years virally suppressed, while 76.4% of male respondents aged 50 years and older are virally suppressed

#HIVAIDSurvey As I have said on air with the Morning News Today team @uverk
and @danmoyane, media were provided with an overview of this survey's data, and I am loath to misrepresent its finer points. More information is available from the @HSRCza here: hsrc.ac.za/en/media-brief…

#HIVAIDSurvey Here are some more key findings of the most recent survey:
It is based on 33,000 interviews with participants, of whom 24,000 agreed to be tested for HIV. Consistent condom use was low, early sexual debut (under 15 years) increased among males compared to 2012.

#HIVAIDSurvey The press release from the @HSRCza reads, "The number of new HIV infections (incidence) significantly declined in 2017 when compared to findings of a similar survey conducted in 2012."

#HIVAIDSurvey "The study found over 60% or an estimated 4.4 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) were on antiretroviral treatment," continues the release. Thea also study found the number of men who are medically circumcised has increased from 18.6% in 2012 to 30.8% in 2018.

#HIVAIDSurvery The @HSRCza press release on the South African survey reports that in the age category 15 to 24 years, females on antiretroviral treatment are more likely to be virally suppressed than males.

#HIVAIDSurvey The release continues saying there is an upward trend in HIV prevalence, "which is explained by the reduction in HIV and AIDS related deaths and additions of new infections that are still occurring."

#HIVAIDSurvey The latest survey from the @HSRC indicates that in the age group 15 to 24 years, females have higher rates of HIV prevalence (23.6%) than males (14.87%). HIV prevalence peaks for women at 35 to 39 years and for men at 45 to 49 years.

#HIVAIDSurvey According to the survey's data, the highest HIV prevalence in the age group 15 to 24 years are KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and Eastern Cape. The provinces with the lowest HIV prevalence in the same age group are Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Western Cape.

#HIVAIDSurvey The @HSRCza's press release on the fifth South African National HIV/AIDS Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey reads "compared to 2012 substantial increases in HIV prevalence were observed" in the Eastern and Western Cape.

#HIVAIDSurvey The fifth South African National HIV/AIDS Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey (with data gathered in 2017) found "there has been a significant decline in the HIV incidence rate at 0.48%."

#HIVAIDSurvey According to the @HSRCza, "This translated to an estimated 231,100 new HIV infections in the country in 2017. Although still high, this was a decline of 44% from an incidence rate of 0.85% reported in the 2012 survey."

#HIVAIDSurvey "The HIV incidence rate was generally higher among females aged 15 to 24 years old where the number of new infections was three-times that of their male counterparts," reads a summary of the launch of the latest survey's key findings on the @HSRCza's website.

#HIVAIDSurvey According to the survey, released by the @HSRCza and partners, 85% of people living with HIV aged 15 to 64 years old have tested for HIV and know their HIV positive status, 71% of whom are on antiretroviral treatment, and 86% of that group on are virally suppressed.

#HIVAIDSurvey As I said on air with @UvekaR and @danmoyane I am neither a statistician nor and expert on HIV/AIDS, much to my regret. Please refer to the @HSRCza for further details and look out for more on the International AIDS Conference next week. Ndiyabulela.

#HIVAIDSurvey On using condoms, 55.63% of participants in the survey aged 15 to 64 years with two or more sexual partners in the previous year self-reported condom use. Among those aged 25 to 49 years, males and females were about even (around half) in self-reporting condom use.

#HIVAIDSurvey Among males 15 to 24 years, 68% of participants with multiple partners reported condom use at last sex, compared to 47.3% of females 15 to 24 years with multiple partners. "Only 33.3% of older adults (50-64) years with multiple partners used condoms at last sex."

#HIVAIDSurvey For details of some of the key findings of this @HSRCza survey conducted in 2017 with 33,000 participants of whom 24,000 agreed to provide blood samples. The key findings and further information are available on the HSRC website. hsrc.ac.za/uploads/pageCo…