Bulawayo has the highest number of HIV discordant couples in Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey revealed that Bulawayo province has the highest number of HIV discordant couples in the country with 12 percent of the city’s HIV negative people having positive spouses, which surpasses the national average of five percent.

Discordant couples are people in relationships where one partner is HIV-infected and the other is not, with a couple being defined as two persons in an ongoing sexual relationship. Bulawayo is followed by its neighbouring provinces, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South that each recorded an average of six percent HIV discordant couples. Manicaland province has the least discordant couples at 2,8 percent, while Harare stands at 5,3 percent.

Experts yesterday said discordant couples should both be on anti-retroviral treatment to reduce the chances of the one who is negative contracting HIV.