Assessing HIV vulnerability among young women in South Africa: A comparison of three risk assessment tools

In a cross-sectional survey of 250 self-reported HIV-negative young women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, self-perceived HIV risk, VOICE risk, and BART risk-taking showed limited convergence.

• Why it matters: Young women in sub-Saharan Africa face disproportionate HIV burden, yet self-perceived risk may not match sexual behaviours or other risk dimensions.
• What they did: Between July and November 2025, the study compared PRHS, VOICE Risk Score, and BART using Spearman’s rank correlations, alongside subgroup comparisons and associations with reported behaviours.
• The result: VOICE classified 42.0% as high risk, PRHS 6.0%, and 33.1% (with complete BART data) were in the highest BART tertile; PRHS categories were linked to multiple sexual and partnership factors, implying distinct risk dimensions.

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