HIV protection and screening in women in New Caledonia

The paper examines HIV data in a Violence Against Women survey conducted in New Caledonia. A representative sample of 1012 women aged 18 to 54 were interviewed. It describes the effect on HIV prevention behavior of knowing someone who is HIV+ and examines condom use and other indicators of unprotected sexual behavior such as unwanted pregnancies and abortion. It also looks at HIV screening, both during antenatal care and at the woman's own initiative. Despite improved prevention behavior among young Islanders (18-24), the results indicate the persistence of strong inequalities among ethnic communities in HIV information and protection and in reproductive health. In New Caledonia to day, health inequity in these areas still clearly disadvantage the indigenous Melanesian and Polynesian women too, compared to European women.