HIV infection through sex contact rising in Taoyuan

During the first 10 months of this year, a total of 123 new HIV/AIDS cases were recorded in the northern Taiwanese county, 90 of which resulted from unprotected sex, according to statistics compiled by the county’s public health bureau.

The figure compares with 91 new cases recorded during the whole of 2007 and marks a sharp increase from 2003 and 2004, when there were around 60 new cases a year, the statistics showed.

Among the new cases recorded from January to October 2008, 40 percent were in the 20 29 age group, and 6 percent were in the 15-19 age group.

Lin Hsueh-jung, head of the bureau, said the situation is a cause for concern as it shows that HIV/AIDS awareness among the general public remains low, even as the government’s efforts to control HIV infection among intravenous drug users have been proven successful.

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