5 October 2010
New research has revealed common infections such as malaria can make women in Africa more susceptible to HIV and AIDS.
Scientists compared immune cells in the genital tracts from women in Kenya and the US and found those living in the African nation had higher rates of activated cells, All Africa reports.
Normal cells can reach this state as a result of infection and they increase a person's vulnerability to a HIV attack, the news provider explains.
Writing in the journal AIDS, Craig Cohen from the University of California, San Francisco, said: "We believe that these findings should also start to dispel some of the preconceptions and stigma surrounding HIV acquisition among young women in sub-Saharan Africa."
This is the first time that a study has shown African females can have more activated cells in their genital tract and it could be one of the reasons why infection rates are higher in the continent than other locations in the world, the investigation explained.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said more needs to be done to stop the spread of non-communicable diseases in developing countries, Times Live reported.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201010060900.html
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