Health experts in Mbarara City, Mbarara District have expressed concern that people living with HIV are increasing.

The HIV focal person in Mbarara City Dorcus Twinabaitu told media on June, 4th that many young women and girls stop their treatment a few months later after starting the process of taking their ARVs. 

Twinabaitu said it is of concern and alarming as these girls contribute to the spread of HIV when they return to the community as they are always engaging with other uninfected people in unprotected sex.

According to Twinabaitu, between October and December, 2023, 3,441 young women and girls aged 20-29 enrolled in care to start their ARVs, reducing to 3,273 from January to March noting that some might have neglected taking their medicines. 

She said that there is a significant increase in new HIV cases among young women and girls aged 15 to 29 in comparison to young men and boys of the same age. She said that the high numbers of new infections are a result of many young girls engaging in unprotected commercial sex with men over 45 which poses a challenge in fighting against spread of HIV.

Twinabaitu said that in Mbarara City, the number of new HIV cases from October last year to March this year is higher in women than in men noting that 628 women have been diagnosed with the disease compared to 408 men.