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A total of 153 cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections were reported to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in the third quarter of 2013, bringing the cumulative total of reported HIV infections to 6,198 since 1984.
Reviewing the HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (November 26), 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 proper use of condoms in reducing the risk of contracting HIV.
"Members of the public with a 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 153 HIV cases reported in this quarter, 78 acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact, 34 via heterosexual contact and two through drug injection. The routes of transmission of the remaining 39 cases were undetermined due to inadequate information.
The 153 cases comprised 125 males and 28 females.
The newly diagnosed cases of the third quarter of 2013 were mainly reported by three major sources: public hospitals and clinics (55 cases), private hospitals and clinics (28 cases) and the DH's Social Hygiene Clinics (24 cases).
HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, about half of the HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years.
Twenty-three new cases of AIDS were reported in this quarter, bringing to 1,410 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985. Fifty-seven per cent were related to homosexual contact and 26 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 HIV infections in the third quarter of this year, 100 (65 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, November 26, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:15
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