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Doctor reprimanded for giving antiretroviral drug to baby who was raped

BMJ 2002; 324 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7331.191b (Published 26 January 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;324:191
  1. Pat Sidley
  1. Johannesburg

    A second senior public hospital doctor has been reprimanded for supplying the antiretroviral drug zidovudine to a rape victim. When given within two days of the rape, this drug can stop the virus replicating.

    What scandalised commentators was that the much publicised rape, in Kimberley in the Northern Cape province, was of a 9 month old baby. She was given the drug as part of extensive treatment after being gang raped by several men.

    Dozens of babies in South Africa have been raped, and the crime is on the …

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