Increased risk of HIV-infection among school-attending orphans in rural Zimbabwe

Bibliographic Data

ID19439043
AuthorsS J S Pascoe (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, corresponding author), L Langhaug (0000-0002-9131-8158, University College London), L F Langhaug (b Centre for Sexual Health & HIV Research , Royal Free & University College Medical School , London , UK), J Durawo (University of Zimbabwe), Godfrey Woelk (0000-0002-8382-0893, University of Zimbabwe), R Ferrand (0000-0003-1520-0614, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Shabbar Jaffar (0000-0002-9615-1588, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Renée Hayes (0000-0002-1729-9892, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Frances M Cowan (0000-0003-3087-4422, University College London)
Year2010
Volume22
Issue2
Pages206-220
Publication date2010-02-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAIDS Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0954-0121 • E-ISSN: 1360-0451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09540120903111528
PMID20390499
OpenAlexW2002138687
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited28

In Zimbabwe around 1.1 million children have been orphaned due to AIDS. We conducted a survey among school-attending youth in rural south-eastern Zimbabwe in 2003, and examined the association between orphaning and risk of HIV. We enrolled 30 communities in three provinces. All students attending Year 2 of secondary school were eligible. Each completed a questionnaire and provided a finger-prick blood specimen for testing for HIV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies. Female participants were tested for pregnancy. Six thousand seven hundred and ninety-one participants were recruited (87% of eligible); 35% had lost one or both parents (20% of participants had lost their father; 6% their mother; and 9% both parents). Orphans were not poorer than non-orphans based on reported access to income, household structure and ownership of assets. There was strong evidence that orphans, and particularly those who had lost both parents, were at increased sexual risk, being more likely to have experienced early sexual debut; to have been forced to have sex; and less likely to have used condoms. Fifty-one students were HIV positive (0.75%). Orphans were three times more likely to be HIV infected than non-orphans (adjusted odds ratio = 3.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.8-6.6). Over 60% of those HIV positive were orphaned. Among school-going youth, the rates of orphaning were very high; there was a strong association between orphaning and increased risk of HIV, and evidence of greater sexual risk taking among orphans. It is essential that we understand the mechanisms by which orphaned children are at increased risk of HIV in order to target prevention and support appropriately

Confidence interval · Family medicine · Odds ratio · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Medicine · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Internal Medicine

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