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*Bulawayo Rejects Claims Of 90% HIV Testing Rate Among Women*

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The City of Bulawayo has denied recent media reports claiming that 90% of women aged 16 to over 50 tested for HIV in Bulawayo in June 2024 and that the city’s positivity rate among women is 71.7%.

In a statement on Thursday, August 15, Bulawayo Acting Town Clerk Edwin Mzingwane said the media took the council report out of context and sensationalised the information. Said Mzingwane:

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> Nationally the HIV prevalence for the 15-49 years age group is 10.49% and the HIV prevalence for Bulawayo is 11.75%.

> (Prevalence refers to the proportion of old and new HIV infections per population).

> (Positivity is the proportion of HIV-positive infections of the total number of people tested).

> Both articles took the City of Bulawayo Council report out of context and sensationalized the information.

> The data was extracted from the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Camera (VIAC) Programme that targets mainly HIV-positive women as we screen for cervical cancer (women who are already on Antiretroviral treatment (ART) and have been confirmed as HIV Positive) with a few who are HIV negative screened as well.

> Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV (WHO, 2024) and hence the VIAC programme aimed at early detection of cervical cancer.

> VIAC is an effective way to prevent cervical cancer in women aged 30-50 years old. It involves examining the opening of the womb, or the cervix, for changes that might lead to cancer.

> If these changes are detected early, the cells can be eliminated before they become cancerous. The cells are usually removed using a method called cryotherapy, or another method called Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP).

> The City of Bulawayo offers VIAC services targeting mainly HIV-positive women whilst offering the service also to HIV-negative women.

> Therefore, the reports cited in the above-named articles are not representative of the HIV positivity rates in general among the Bulawayo population but are skewed programmatically towards HIV-positive women attending clinics for cervical cancer screening.

> The City of Bulawayo further notes the media plays a key role in disseminating health information and there is a need to ensure accurate health reports are issued as they affect the knowledge and health beliefs of the public.

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