HIV is from gay sex
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
The number of reported HIV cases hit its lowest point in six years last year but those who got the virus from gay sex continue to show a worrying rise, the Centre for Health Protection said yesterday.
A total of 396 cases were reported last year compared with the record of 435 hit in 2008.
"The drop came mainly from cases involving drug injections, which fell from 40 in 2008 to 14 in 2009, as well as heterosexual exposure, which dropped from 131 in 2008 to 108 in 2009," said Wong Ka-hing, the center's consultant.
However, the number of those testing positive for HIV as a result of bisexual or gay encounters was 162, which is a rebound from 145 in 2008 and close to the 2007 record of 168.
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"The rebound is certainly a very worrying trend," said the doctor.
Also of concern is that around 70 percent of those who contracted the disease from gay sexual encounters did so locally, based on figures from 2006 when the Department of Health started collecting such information.
This is a very high percentage compared with men who have heterosexual contact and who usually acquire the infection overseas, Wong said. Only around 30 percent of heterosexual men contracted HIV locally.
In total, around 40 percent of HIV infections were contracted locally over the past three years, while 25 percent contracted it overseas.
Wong said that, despite the challenges of targeting gays who exhibit high-risk sexual behavior in publicity campaigns, the Department of Health must make an attempt to do so.
"In the foreseeable future, we will treat this group of people as a very important part of our publicity, and we will conduct campaigns targeting them,"he said.
"For example, we singled out this group for a publicity campaign on HIV and syphilis last year."
He urged anyone who suspects they may have HIV to go for a test early, as without treatment about half of the infections will lead to AIDS in 10 years, eventually causing death.
The number of reported HIV cases hit its lowest point in six years last year but those who got the virus from gay sex continue to show a worrying rise, the Centre for Health Protection said yesterday.
A total of 396 cases were reported last year compared with the record of 435 hit in 2008.
"The drop came mainly from cases involving drug injections, which fell from 40 in 2008 to 14 in 2009, as well as heterosexual exposure, which dropped from 131 in 2008 to 108 in 2009," said Wong Ka-hing, the center's consultant.
However, the number of those testing positive for HIV as a result of bisexual or gay encounters was 162, which is a rebound from 145 in 2008 and close to the 2007 record of 168.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The rebound is certainly a very worrying trend," said the doctor.
Also of concern is that around 70 percent of those who contracted the disease from gay sexual encounters did so locally, based on figures from 2006 when the Department of Health started collecting such information.
This is a very high percentage compared with men who have heterosexual contact and who usually acquire the infection overseas, Wong said. Only around 30 percent of heterosexual men contracted HIV locally.
In total, around 40 percent of HIV infections were contracted locally over the past three years, while 25 percent contracted it overseas.
Wong said that, despite the challenges of targeting gays who exhibit high-risk sexual behavior in publicity campaigns, the Department of Health must make an attempt to do so.
"In the foreseeable future, we will treat this group of people as a very important part of our publicity, and we will conduct campaigns targeting them,"he said.
"For example, we singled out this group for a publicity campaign on HIV and syphilis last year."
He urged anyone who suspects they may have HIV to go for a test early, as without treatment about half of the infections will lead to AIDS in 10 years, eventually causing death.
I never bought that shit.
