By Sanya Emmanuel mango
Shocking HIV prevalence rates has been revealed by the 2011 Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey.
A total of 3.7% of women and men aged 15 to 24 are HIV positive, with prevalence among females markedly higher than among males. This is the case apart from within teenagers between 15 to 17-years-old, the youngest age bracket of this group, where prevalence is slightly higher in males.
HIV prevalence rates in Ugandan youth
| AGE | MALE | FEMALE |
| 15-17 | 1.8% | 1.6% |
| 18-19 | 1.5% | 5.1% |
| 20-22 | 2.3% | 7.1% |
| 23-24 | 3.6% | 7.0% |
The findings suggest that HIV prevalence among young people increases with age and is significantly higher among women.
The survey found less than 1% of Ugandan children under-five are HIV positive. Infection rates among children in both urban and rural areas and between sexes is the same at 0.7%.
HIV prevalence by marital status
The survey also looks at the relationship between HIV and marital status among women and men age 15-49. The results are as follows:
| MARITAL STATUS | MALE | FEMALE |
| Never been married | 2.0% | 3.9% |
| Married/living together | 7.6% | 7.2% |
| Divorced or separated | 14.9% | 17.8% |
| Widowed | 31.4% | 32.4% |
The survey also breaks down prevalence by region, as follows:
| WHERE | PREVALANCE |
| Central 1 | 10.6% |
| Central 2 | 9.0% |
| Mid north | 8.3% |
| Mid western | 8.2% |
| South western | 8.0% |
| East central | 5.8% |
| North east | 5.3% |
| West Nile | 4.9% |
| Mid eastern | 4.1% |
Overall, HIV prevalence in people aged 15 to 49 has increased from 6.4% in the 2004-05 to 7.3% in the 2011, according to the HIV/AIDS –Behavioural Survey (UHSBS).
According to the Uganda ADIS indicator survey (UAIS), in 2004/05 HIV prevalence in women age 15-49 stood at 7.5% but this shot to 8.3% in 2011. In men of the same age, prevalence stood at 5.0% in 2004/05, rising to 6.1% in 2011.
The survey did not measure new infections in 2011 but based its conclusion from data UHSBS, which provides evidence on new infections recorded in different health centres and all testing units.
Trends in syphilis prevalence
The survey also examines syphilis rates in the country. It shows a slight decrease in syphilis from 2004-5 to 2011, with prevalence falling from 3% to 2% in adults age 15-49. Syphilis infections among men and women are at the same level.
Over 12,000 women, 9,600 men and 10,000 children from across Uganda were interviewed and their blood sample taken for the survey. Blood tests were examined at the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The survey was funded by the Uganda government, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UK Department For International Development (DFID) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). The Demographic and Health Survey Project at ICF International and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics also supported the survey.