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Press Release

CHP reviews local HIV/AIDS situation in third quarter of 2014

25 November 2014

A total of 195 additional cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection were reported to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in the third quarter of 2014, bringing the cumulative total of reported HIV infections to 6 841 since 1984. This is the highest number reported in a single quarter so far, the second highest being 154 in the first quarter of 2014.

Reviewing the HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (November 25), the Consultant (Special Preventive Programme) of the CHP, Dr Wong Ka-hing, said that sexual transmission had remained the major mode of HIV transmission.

Dr Wong stressed the importance of proper use of condoms in reducing the risk of contracting HIV.

"HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, about half of the HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years," he remarked.

"Members of the public with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV antibody 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 195 HIV cases reported in this quarter, 105 acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact, 35 via heterosexual contact, and one through drug injection. The routes of transmission of the remaining 54 cases had yet to be determined due to inadequate information.

The 195 cases comprise 167 males and 28 females.

The newly diagnosed cases of the third quarter of 2014 were mainly reported by three major sources: public hospitals and clinics (53 cases), AIDS service organisations (46 cases), and the DH's Social Hygiene Clinics (34 cases).

In addition, 27 new cases of AIDS were reported in this quarter, bringing to 1 524 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985. Among them, 63 per cent were attributed to heterosexual contact and another 33 per cent were related to homosexual or bisexual contact.

In this quarter, the most common AIDS-defining illness was tuberculosis (12 cases), followed by Pneumocystis pneumonia (eight cases), a kind of chest infection.

Of the newly reported cases in the third quarter of this year, 117 of them (60 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 (This link will open in a new windowwww.aids.gov.hk).



Last Revision Date : 25 Nov 2014