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A total of 123 cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections were reported to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in the second quarter of 2013, bringing the cumulative total of reported HIV infections to 6 045 since 1984.
Reviewing the HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (August 27), the Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) of the CHP, Dr Wong Ka-hing, said that sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission in Hong Kong.
Dr Wong stressed the importance of the proper use of condoms in reducing the risk of contracting HIV.
"Members of the public with history of unsafe sex should take an HIV test early. They can call the DH's AIDS Hotline (2780 2211) for a free, anonymous and confidential HIV test," Dr Wong said.
Of the 123 HIV cases reported in this quarter, 64 acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact, 27 via heterosexual contact, two through drug injection and one via blood or blood product transmission occurring outside Hong Kong. The routes of transmission of the remaining 29 cases were undetermined due to inadequate information.
The 123 cases comprised 105 males and 18 females.
The newly diagnosed cases of the second quarter of 2013 were mainly reported by three major sources: public hospitals and clinics (39 cases), the DH's Social Hygiene Clinics (22 cases) and AIDS service organisations (22 cases).
HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, about half of HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within ten years.
Twenty-two new cases of AIDS were reported in this quarter, bringing to 1 387 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985. Fifty-nine per cent were related to homosexual or bisexual contact and 32 per cent were attributed to heterosexual contact.
In this quarter, the most common AIDS-defining illness was Pneumocystis Pneumonia, a kind of chest infection.
Of the newly reported cases in the second quarter of this year, 93 (76 per cent) had already received HIV specialist services at the DH or the Hospital Authority.
Members of the public can obtain a wide range of HIV/AIDS-related information from the DH's AIDS website (www.aids.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:53
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