Men urged to take HIV treatment as deaths outnumber women
· Citizen
Experts and organisations fighting against the HIV/Aids pandemic have urged men to take treatment to avoid unnecessary death.
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It is believed after contracting the virus, most men are reluctant to go to the health facilities to start taking treatment.
Doctors highlight male reluctance to seek care
Several doctors interviewed by The Citizen, who cannot be named because they are not authorised to talk to the media, said most of their HIV patients were women.
One of the doctors said: “I am always worried because most of my HIV patients are women.”
Statistics released by Thembisa, the mathematical model of HIV and TB in South Africa, said in 2023-24, there were 5.2 million women living with the virus, compared with 2.6 million men.
It further said that more men lost their lives due to HIV-related causes than women.
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Data shows higher male mortality
According to the statistics in the same (2023-24) financial year, 27 100 men died of Aids, while only 24 200 women had died.
Thandi Maluka, a director for the Positive Women’s Network, said she was deeply concerned by the recent findings showing that HIV infections among women were higher, even though women living with HIV were surviving longer than men.
“While we celebrate the progress made in access to treatment and that many women are now living long, healthy lives, the high number of newly infected women is a serious warning sign.
“In our daily work with women and girls, we see how gender inequality, poverty, gender-based violence and limited economic opportunities increase women’s vulnerability to HIV.
“Young women and adolescent girls remain particularly at risk.
“Prevention efforts must therefore go beyond awareness campaigns – they must address the structural and social drivers that put women at risk.
“We also recognise men are less likely to test early and remain in care, which affects their survival outcomes. A balanced response is needed – one that strengthens prevention for women and girls while also encouraging men to access testing and treatment without stigma.”
She has called for strengthened community-based interventions, comprehensive sexuality education, economic empowerment programmes and improved access to prevention tools.
Protecting women and girls from new infections while ensuring long-term care and dignity for those living with HIV must remain a national priority.
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Treatment progress masks ongoing gaps
Dr Kate Rees, public health specialist at Anova Health Institute, said the number of people living with HIV in SA, men and women, continues to grow but because of the treatment, people live long, healthy lives.
“Fewer people are dying from HIV, which means the number of people living with HIV grows, even though the number of new infections is getting lower each year.
“There are more women compared to men living with HIV in South Africa and more new infections in women.
“Men tend to do worse in terms of testing and especially, starting and staying on treatment. The reason men have higher death rates is they are less likely to be taking treatment consistently.”