Sunday, December 12, 2010

Eight HIV cases detected daily

December 12, 2010
Star

KOTA KINABALU: An average of eight new HIV cases are detected in the country every day.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Heng Seai Kie said the situation was of great concern as the authorities also recorded three HIV-related deaths each day.

Based on the Health Ministry’s statistics, she said a total of 87,710 HIV cases had been detected and that 12,039 had died at end of last year.

“What is very worrying is that nearly 40% of those detected with HIV were youths below 29 years old,” she said at the opening of an educational seminar on HIV-AIDS for youths in the state.

She said a study among youths aged between 13 and 24 showed that at least 2.2% of them had had sexual intercourse.

The study also found that many of them were not aware of sexually transmitted diseases.

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