HIV decline in Zimbabwe due to reductions in risky sex?|Evidence from a comprehensive epidemiological review

This article presents research which assessed the contributions of rising mortality, falling HIV incidence and sexual behaviour change to the decline in HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe. It comprised of a comprehensive review and secondary analysis of national and local sources on trends in HIV prevalence, HIV incidence, mortality and sexual behaviour in the period 1985 - 2007. The findings provide the first convincing evidence of an HIV decline accelerated by changes in sexual behaviour in a southern African country, nevertheless, in 2007 one in seven adults in Zimbabwe was still infected by a life-threatening virus and mortality rates remained at crisis point