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A total of 121 cases of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) - the cause of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) infections - were reported in the second quarter of 2008 to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH), bringing the cumulative total of reported HIV infections to 3,822 since 1984.
This was revealed by the CHP's Senior Medical Officer (Special Preventive Programme), Dr Ho Lei-ming, during a press conference today (September 16).
He noted that 15 new cases of AIDS were reported in the same quarter. Sixty-seven per cent of them were related to heterosexual contact, bringing to 966 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985.
Dr Ho stressed the importance of using condoms and the practice of safe sex in reducing the risk of HIV infection. HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, half of HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years.
He called on members of the public who had a history of unprotected sex to go for an HIV test.
"They can call the DH's AIDS hotline on 2780 2211 for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV test," he added.
Dr Ho said that the predominant route of HIV transmission in the second quarter of 2008 remained sexual contact.
The 121 new cases comprise 98 males and 23 females.
Of these cases, 33 acquired the infection via heterosexual contact, 33 via homosexual or bisexual contact, nine cases through injection drug use and two cases through blood/blood product infusion. The routes of transmission of the remaining 44 cases were undetermined due to insufficient data.
The newly diagnosed cases of this quarter were reported by four major sources: public hospitals and clinics (51 cases), private hospitals and clinics (32 cases), the Department of Healthˇ¦s Social Hygiene Clinics (18 cases), and the AIDS Counselling Service (11 cases).
Sixty-five (53.7%) of the patients have received care at the HIV specialist services of the Department of Health or the Hospital Authority.
In this quarter, pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), a kind of chest infection, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (TB) were the most common AIDS defining illnesses.
Members of the public can obtain a wide range of HIV/AIDS related information from the AIDS website (http://www.aids.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:37
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