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South Africa's Medical Research Council (MRC) on Thursday slammed a study by eight international HIV/AIDS researchers.
The findings, reported in the International Journal of STD and AIDS, suggests that HIV/AIDS in Africa is fuelled mainly by unsafe medical injections and blood transfusions.
"Not enough evidence exists to suggest that dirty needles or blood transfusions are the main route for HIV transmission in Africa today," MRC unit director for disease research, Dr Debbie Bradshaw, told the UN news service PlusNews.
Reuters quoted US-based independent research member, David Gisselquist, as saying: "The idea that sexual intercourse explains 90 percent of African HIV just doesn't fit the facts. We need to take a look at the alternate explanations."
Bradshaw noted: "Its an important issue that should not be ignored, but the extent of it has been over represented."
The World Health Organisation and UNAIDS are due to hold a meeting in Geneva on 13-14 March to address the issue of unsafe injections.
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