So much for the “lack of education” theory
on February 1st, 2007 at 2:55 am(miningweekly.co.za) South Africa’s Aids epidemic, often regarded by health workers as a disease of the poor, is in fact spreading quickly among the country’s richest and best educated people, researchers said on Tuesday.
The study by the Markinor polling firm and the University of South Africa (Unisa) showed a rapid increase in HIV infections in professional people and those with full-time employment – both key to South Africa’s hopes to spur economic development.
“The high risk group is growing, it is getting older and it is getting richer,” said Carel van Aardt, director of UNISA’s Bureau of Market Research. “This could represent a whole new wave of the epidemic.”
[...]
Researchers said there were many possible factors behind the spread of HIV among upper levels of society, among them confused government messages about HIV/Aids, greater disposable income and leisure, and general apathy about safe sex practices.
But whatever the reason, Aids is certainly climbing the social ladder for both black and white South Africans. (more…)
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