The study of almost 24,000 students and staff found a national HIV prevalence rate among college students of about 3 percent - a sharp contrast to the national prevalence rate of around 18 percent estimated by UNAIDS. A combination of individual questionnaires, interviews, and dried blood spot HIV testing was used. The research was conducted by the Higher Education HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) a government initiative to strengthen the AIDS response in the higher education sector. The study also found that prevalence rates were about three times higher in students more than 25 years in age and that female students were hardest hit, exhibiting a prevalence rate of 4.7 percent - more than double the 2 percent rate found among their male peers.
The study is really the first comprehensive attempt to define the impact of HIV in the higher education sector," said Gail Andrews, HEAIDS programme director. "To some extent, it is reassuring that HIV among students and staff at higher education institutions is less common than in the general population, but ... it does not mean that any institution can afford to be complacent. Both the survey and the qualitative research ... indicate that the sexual and social behaviour of sections of university communities puts them at risk." A similarly low prevalence rate of about 1.5 percent was detected among academic staff, but a much higher rate was found in university service staff, who were also least likely to have health insurance.
