ONLY one person here has admitted to having sex without telling his partner he was HIV-positive.

The married man did so, even though he knew of his health status. His wife, a foreigner, was fortunately not infected.

He was not hauled up in court as she was unwilling to testify against him. Also, he had used a condom each time they had had sex.

Instead, he was fined this year, an amount the Health Ministry would not reveal.

The maximum penalty for a HIV-infected person who had sex without the partner?s informed consent is a $10,000 fine and two years' jail.

If proposed amendments to the law are passed, this will be raised to a $50,000 fine and 10 years' jail.

The Health ministry said another man, from Nigeria, left Singapore in 2005 before he could be charged for having sex with several women here without telling them he was infected with HIV.

The ministry said that it has already alerted the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to look out for him.

It is now investigating a third man for a similar offence.