A Boston minister works to save lives half a world away. Lack of needle-exchange programs in North America and parts of Europe has condemned drug addicts to continuing high levels of infection, it said. And it cited studies in Australia and the United States showing that increasing numbers of young homosexual men are indulging in risky behavior with unprotected sexual intercourse and frequent partners. A total of 13.2 million children have been orphaned since the disease first spread. In seven of these, at least one adult in five is infected.
Women are harder hit than men.
The southern African nation of Botswana has the highest rate, with 36 percent of adults infected. In South Africa, which has a 20 percent infection rate, there are 4.2 million people living with the virus - the largest single national total in the world. In Zimbabwe, a male who was 15 in 1983 had a 15 percent chance of dying before reaching his 50th birthday. This likelihood rose to 50 percent for those turning 15 in 1997. Denial continues to be a problem.