AIDS cases rose in Taiwan in the first seven months of this year, the first increase in six years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
There were 584 new cases reported in the January-to-July period, a 3 percent increase from 568 reported in the same period last year, CDC officials said, adding that 367 of the people who have been diagnosed with the disease so far this year — or 63 percent — were aged 15 to 34.
HIV infections in the 15-to-34 age group increased 11 percent from the same period last year, the biggest jump among all age groups, the officials said.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
The most commonly reported risk factor for AIDS was unsafe sex, accounting for 93 percent of the new cases, they said.
CDC spokesman Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said the rise in cases was linked to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, which restored normal levels of social interaction and sexual activity, especially among young people.
Thirty-four of the people diagnosed in the first seven months were women, an alarming increase over 24 in the same period last year, Lo said, adding that half of them were unaware they had AIDS until symptoms developed.
Even women with long-term partners are susceptible to AIDS and should have regular check-ups for sexually transmitted diseases, he said.
People should use water-based lubricants with condoms to minimize infection risks, while people who risk exposure to HIV should use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) under a doctor’s direction, CDC officials said.
People under the age of 35 and those with an HIV-positive partner or spouse are eligible for subsidized PrEP at 103 hospitals across Taiwan, they said, adding that another 113 hospitals provide such medication without subsidies.
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