Abstract

PIP: The effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on women and children in African countries are perpetrated by heterosexual contact. Women's multiple role as sexual companions, wives, daughters, and mothers impact on the spread of the virus and also on the social and economic effects of the epidemic on family members. If premarital sex is tolerated and the age at onset of sexual activity is indistinguishable from the age at menarche, young females will become exposed to HIV very early in their lives. The probability of not becoming infected between ages 15 and 25 in 3 HIV infectivity regimes (assuming the age of 15 for onset of sexual activity) indicated proportionately larger gains in HIV regimes of higher infectivity. A reduction of 15 years in the age gap between partners in a regime with an intermediate infectivity leads to an increase of about 24% in the probability of avoiding infection. In contrast, in the regime with highest infectivity, the gains multiply the probability of remaining uninfected more than 10-fold. Although the growing incidence of orphanhood should affect male and female children alike, if mortality and female children are excessive in fosterage arrangements female children may be inflicted disproportionately. Unless massive social remedies mitigate the growing orphanhood, the rates of school dropout, child-labor participation and outright abandonment will increase. Increased adult mortality will also raise the incidence of widow(er)hood. Women can reduce the risk of HIV sexual partners. Increased adult mortality could induce and overhaul of family arrangements where female children, mothers, and grandmothers are likely to bear the bulk of the personal, social, and economic burden in the absence of social interventions.