I wonder why gay men have the higest chance of contracting AIDS.  Wee

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With World Aids Day on December 1 Hong Kong has released figures showing gay men are still at the highest risk of contracting HIV in the city.

“We’ve had record-breaking numbers each quarter this year. It’s very likely the numbers this year will surpass last year,” said Dr Wong Ka-hing, consultant for the Health Department’s special preventive programme, as he released data for the third quarter’s new infection rates.

“It’s also the highest among the MSM (men having sex with men) community.”

The department recorded 153 new cases in the third quarter this year. 125 men and 28 women contracted the virus which can cause Aids, a disease which suppresses the immune system and makes a person weak and vulnerable to other diseases. 23 new cases of Aids were also detected.

Around half of the new HIV cases were suspected to have been acquired through unprotected gay or bisexual sex, a quarter through heterosexual sex and two of the cases through drug injections. The causes of the rest of the infections were unknown or inconclusive.

Dr Wong said that most of the infections were contracted locally, though for heterosexual couples around 35 per cent were suspected to have been contracted overseas.

The rate of HIV infection in Hong Kong is relatively low, at around 0.1 per cent of the 15-49 year-old population. The global average according to the World Health Organisation is 0.8 per cent.

Around 34 million people globally were estimated to be living with Aids in 2011.

The number of gay men who are likely to develop Aids has been higher in recent years. Dr Wong could not confirm whether gay men were less likely to come forward to be tested because of social stigmas against homosexuality, as there was no empirical evidence.

Although new HIV infections in homosexual men has been the most prominent issue of the virus since 2005, heterosexual couples should not be lured into a false sense of security, said Andrew Chidgey, chief executive of charity Aids Concern, in a letter to the South China Morning Post in September.

Since the first case of HIV in Hong Kong, 2,446 cases of HIV have come about through heterosexual contact, compared with 1,836 due to homosexual contact, he said.

Taking into consideration the new cases, the totals are now at 2,480 and 1,910 respectively.

The third quarter of the year saw 153 new diagnoses of HIV infection and 23 new Aids cases. The same period in 2012 saw 140 new diagnoses of HIV infection and 17 new Aids cases.

Wearing a condom during sex is the best preventative measure said Dr Wong, and urged those at most risk, namely sex workers, gay men, intravenous drug users and regular partners of those infected, to be tested every six to 12 months.

HIV tests are available for free at the government’s Public Health Laboratory Centre in West Kowloon.

Testing is also available at public social hygiene clinics as well as at private clinics.

Although the department collects demographic data including gender, ethnicity, and route of transmission, all reporting is anonymous and voluntary.

The government also has a free, anonymous and confidential hotline, 2780 2211.

http://www.educationpost.com.hk/ ... tbrain-paid-h2-2013

[ Last edited by  Weelock at 4-1-2014 12:24 ]