Infertility is a problem which often results in the social isolation and psychological abuse of women. Diagnosis and treatment of infertility are very expensive and unaffordable to the majority of affected women. Further analysis of the results of the surveys demonstrate that infection is more common among women than men. The data also demonstrate that young women between the ages of 15 and 24 years bear a greater burden of infection. The high prevalence of HIV infection among women in the reproductive age group has serious implications for vertical transmission of the virus to newborns.
Cervical cancer is another of the main killers of women in South Africa.
Even though death due to cervical cancer can be prevented through regular pap smear tests, relatively few women are screened. A large percentage seek treatment at a late stage when the cancer is in its advanced stages. Consequently the outcome of treatment is often poor, although the costs are high. Health education, especially in the area of reproduction, is non-existent or ineffective. The fertility rates for Africans are three times higher than those for whites.