Two-Thirds of Rwandan Women Raped During Genocide Have HIV, Study Says

Two-thirds of the "many thousands" of Rwandan women who were raped during the 1994 Rwandan genocide are infected with HIV, according to a group representing female survivors of the genocide, Agence France-Presse reports. Avega-Agahozo, which conducted the study, represents "widows of the genocide." An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 people were killed in the genocide, which was "mainly carried out by extremists from the majority Hutu ethnic group on members of the Tutsi group and on moderate Hutus," Agence France-Presse reports. Rwandan health officials estimate that 400,000 of the 7.7 million Rwandan citizens are HIV-positive. The overall HIV/AIDS infection rate among Rwandan adults is "believed to be 10%," with infection rates ranging from 3% to 10% in rural areas and 15% to 25% in cities, according to the Rwandan National AIDS Treatment and Research Center (Agence France-Presse, 1/7).