Ethiopia’s HIV Prevalence Lower Than Expected, Survey Says

HIV prevalence in Ethiopia is lower than expected, according to results of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2005, which was released on Monday at the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, the Daily Monitor/AllAfrica.com reports. The survey, conducted by the country's Central Statistical Agency and the Ministry of Health, reports that about 1.4% of Ethiopians ages 15 to 49, or one million people, are HIV-positive. The study also finds that about 1.9% of women are HIV-positive, compared with 0.9% of men; that 1% of women and 4% of men reported having more than one sexual partner in the year prior to the survey; and that 3% of women and 9% of men reported having engaged in sexual intercourse with a "nonmarital, noncohabiting partner," according to the study. In addition, the study finds that nearly 6% of adults in urban areas are HIV-positive, while less than 1% of rural residents age 15 to 49 are HIV-positive. The majority of men and women in Ethiopia have limited knowledge about HIV/AIDS. According to the study, 40% of women and 64% of men say they know that using a condom can reduce the risk of contracting HIV. Sixty percent of women and 80% of men say they know that having sex with one faithful, HIV-negative partner reduces HIV transmission risk, and the same percentages report knowing that abstinence reduces the risk of contracting HIV, the study shows. The 2005 EDHS data was based on interviews with more than 14,000 women and more than 6,000 men. The survey was funded by the Dutch, Irish and Ethiopian governments, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, UNFPA and USAID (Girma, Monitor/AllAfrica.com, 9/19).