Lesbians and bisexual women in Africa are increasingly at risk for HIV, AllAfrica.com reports. A recent pilot study found that 71 percent of a sample group of 500 lesbians and bisexual women in Southern Africa have been at risk of HIV. Factors putting them at risk include, for example, engaging in unprotected sex, transactional sex or non-consensual sex with men or women. Thirty percent of the women had unprotected sex because they believed they were not at risk of contracting HIV. More than 50 percent of the women said they had sex only with women throughout their lifetimes, while 15 percent of the women acknowledged bisexual behavior. The study suggests that women who have sex with women have an increased chance of contracting HIV if they also have sex with men.

To read the AllAfrica.com article, click here.