BMJ  2004;329 (23 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7472.0-d

Young South Africans are affected by sexual violence

Misconceptions about sexual violence and the risk of HIV infection are common in young South Africans of both sexes. Andersson and colleagues (p 952) surveyed more than 269 000 South African pupils aged 10-19 years and found that around 11% of males and 4% of females claimed to have forced someone to have sex, and more than 60% of these had themselves been forced to have sex. A third of respondents thought they were HIV positive. Sixteen per cent said they would spread HIV infection intentionally; this response was more common among youths who had been forced to have sex.

Credit: DENIS FARRELL/AP

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National cross sectional study of views on sexual violence and risk of HIV infection and AIDS among South African school pupils

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