Although South Africa has made strides in the fight against HIV infections over the last decade, young women aged 15 – 24 in South Africa continue to bear the brunt of the HIV pandemic registering 1300 new cases weekly, while the infection rate amoungst boys of the same age is three times lower. In a speech commemorating World Aids Day,
Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that young women in the country continue to be vulnerable to HIV infection, citing the phenomenon of sugar daddy relationships as one of the reasons for young girls and women being infected the most.