Twenty-Eight Percent Of Schoolgirls In South Africa Are HIV Positive

At least 28 % of South African school girls are HIV positive compared with 4 % of boys, because "sugar daddies" are exploiting them, health minister Aaron has said. He said 94,000 schoolgirls also fell pregnant in 2011 and 77,000 had abortion at state facilities. About 10 % of South Africans are living with HIV, official statistics show. The number of HIV-positive people receiving life saving ARV drugs more than doubled 678,500 to 1.5 million since health minister took office in 2009. Speaking at a public meeting Mr Aaron said the large number of young girls who are HIV positiive "destroyed my soul". It is clear that it is not young boys who are sleeping with these girls, it is old men" He said. "We must take stand against "sugar daddies" because they are destroying our children" Mr Aaron said some pregnant girls aged between 10-14 years of age - were also tested positive for HIV. More than five million in South Africa are HIV positive- about 10 % of the total population..