HIV and Scistosomiasis in KwaZulu-Natal

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, June 2021

Genital schistosomiasis affects as many as 30% of girls in KwaZulu-Natal province, increasing their risk of contracting HIV by up to 3x. Though schistosomiasis is easily treatable with a single dose of Praziquantel, few mass drug administration efforts have been implemented in South Africa and most have focused almost exclusively on primary school aged children. This research focuses on whether mass drug administration amongst adolescent girls may also be effective in reducing incidence of both HIV and schistosomiasis in this region.