Study finds Greater Taipei has most HIV cases

Study finds Greater Taipei has most HIV cases
PHOTO: Study finds Greater Taipei has most HIV cases

To give awareness to World AIDS Day yesterday, a survey conducted by Taiwan's network system company Pixnet found that the highest number of HIV infections were found among men in the Greater Taipei area.

The highest number of HIV-infections transmitted via needles was recorded in Kaohsiung City, the Pixnet report showed.

It has been 30 years since 1981, when the world's first case of AIDS was officially diagnosed. Each year about three million people die of AIDS. The Pixnet's most up-to-date statistics on HIV/AIDS in Taiwan found that Taipei and Kaohsiung cities had the greatest number of "HIV-positive" homosexuals and "HIV-positive transmissions via needle injections."

The company urged that whether the transmission stemmed from "true love" or "love of the needle," HIV infection remains a serious disease with serious consequences.

Pixnet, together with data collection and management company Swarchy Inc., jointly hosted the HIV/AIDS awareness event yesterday.

Numbers compiled by the Centers of Disease Control under the Department of Health from 1984 to 2010 showed that the demographic with the highest HIV infection in Taiwan were males in two age groups - between 20 and 29, and 30 and 39, respectively. The statistics show that the government must strengthen initiatives for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention for those in the two segments.

From 2006 to 2010, statistics show that regardless of gender or sexual identity, HIV infection was the highest in New Taipei City. The population with the highest number of HIV infections from sexual activity are in New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan County, Taichung City, and Kaohsiung City.

The Pixnet report also found that Changhua County and Pingtung County made it into the top five for HIV infections transmitted by sharing drug needles, which could show that the denizens of the two counties pay less attention to disinfecting needles when using drugs.

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