Politics

DEMOCRATIC PARTY POLICY

EXTRACT from policy on AIDS drugs

RAPE SURVIVORS:
Under normal circumstances rape carries a less than one percent chance of HIV transmission . However, South Africa's STD epidemic enhances the risk considerably. Furthermore, gang rape is a common feature of rape incidents in this country, which means a number of separate exposures to risk, and a pervasive myth that sex with a virgin will cure one of AIDS adds another dimension to HIV-infection risk as a result of AIDS.

Researchers have developed a Post-Exposure Prophylaxis treatment for use by people who have been exposed to the risk of HIV infection including, increasingly, rape. Because of the ethical and practical problems of conducting trials, no studies have been done to show a benefit for treatment of rape survivors. However, the benefits are assumed to be the same as for accidental occupational exposure in a healthcare worker (needle-prick injuries). Studies show PEP has reduced the risk of HIV infection by 81% in health-care workers involved in needle-stick accidents. Both Canada and France make PEP available to rape survivors. In England PEP is available on the National Health System. The Centres for Disease Control, America's primary source of information on disease control, says that it is unable to make a recommendation because of the lack of scientific evidence, but provides guidelines for its use.

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