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A total of 438 new cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) were reported to the Department of Health (DH) in 2011, compared with 389 reported cases in 2010.
Reviewing the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (March 13), the Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) of the Centre for Health Protection of the DH, Dr Wong Ka-hing, said sexual contact remained the major mode of HIV transmission in Hong Kong.
Of the 438 new cases, 188 acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual exposure and 117 via heterosexual contact. There were 14 cases of drug injection and two cases via blood/blood product transmission occurring outside Hong Kong. The routes of transmission of 117 cases had yet to be determined due to inadequate information.
In the fourth quarter of 2011, a total of 121 people tested positive for HIV, taking the cumulative total of reported HIV infections to 5 270 since 1984.
Of the 121 HIV cases reported in the fourth quarter last year, 54 acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact, 27 via heterosexual contact and five through drug injection. The routes of transmission of the remaining 35 cases had yet to be determined due to inadequate information.
The 121 cases comprised 96 males and 25 females.
Twenty-six new cases of AIDS were reported in the fourth quarter of 2011, bringing to 1 267 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985. Fifty per cent of the new AIDS cases were related to homosexual or bisexual contact and another 31 per cent were attributed to heterosexual contact.
In the same quarter, the most common AIDS defining illness was Pneumocystis Pneumonia, a kind of chest infection.
The newly diagnosed HIV cases in the fourth quarter of 2011 were reported by three major sources: public hospitals and clinics (53 cases), private hospitals and clinics (24 cases) and the AIDS Unit of the DH (21 cases).
Of the newly reported cases in the fourth quarter last year, 89 (74 per cent) had received HIV specialist services at the DH or the Hospital Authority.
Dr Wong said, "Members of the public with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV test. They can call the department's AIDS Hotline at 2780 2211 for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV test."
"They should use a condom for safer sex to reduce the risk of contracting HIV," Dr Wong said.
"HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, about half of the HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years."
Information and data on HIV/AIDS, which are released on a quarterly basis, are available at the department's AIDS webpage, www.aids.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:34
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