HIV

At the end of 2006, an estimated 40 million people were living with HIV, almost half are women and one-third are young people. 63% of adults and children living with HIV are in Sub-Saharan Africa – more than in the rest of the world combined.

The vast majority of the 14,000 new HIV infections which occur every day are transmitted sexually and are preventable. Comprehensive prevention strategies, including education, the teaching of skills to negotiate safe behaviour, and consistent and correct use of male and female condoms are vital in the fight against HIV.

Most children living with HIV acquire the infection through mother-to-child transmission which can occur during pregnancy, labour and delivery or during breastfeeding. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV accounts for 15% of new HIV infections.  Access to sexual and reproductive health services including contraception, is crucial if new HIV infections among women, and unintended pregnancies among HIV-positive women who don’t want to become pregnant, are to be reduced. 

The risk of mother-to-child transmission can also be reduced to 2% by giving anti-retrovirals to women and to their babies combined with an elective caesarean delivery and the complete avoidance of breastfeeding. These measures are essential for the elimination of HIV infection in infants and young children.

Marie Stopes International works in a variety of ways to prevent the spread of HIV including:

• information on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections – through public awareness campaigns, leaflets, posters and dramas aimed specifically at men, young people and vulnerable groups
• voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services
• condoms, so that people may protect themselves

An increasing number of our programmes around the world with also provide prevention of mother to child transmission services.

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