The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is today to expand its HIV screening program to include women who have abortions, which it said would include about 100,000 women annually.
Thirty-four women have tested positive for HIV since January this year, a 31 percent increase over the same period last year, including one case in which the virus was transmitted to a newborn child, the CDC said earlier last month.
To date this year, 666 people have been diagnosed with HIV, the overwhelming majority of them being men, up from 646 new infections in the same period last year.
Photo: CNA
To raise awareness and curb the spread of the virus, the CDC would expand its screening program starting today, it said.
“Only about 2 to 5 percent of Taiwanese women are infected with HIV, but the level of awareness of the risk posed by the virus is low among Taiwanese women in general,” CDC official Lee Chia-chi (李佳琪) said.
One survey found that women in Taiwan generally have no awareness of the need to test for HIV, even if they are sexually active, she said.
“This lack of awareness results in delayed treatment, putting women at risk,” she said.
Regarding the woman who transmitted HIV to her child, Lee said the mother missed the opportunity to undergo routine screening because she did not receive prenatal care.
“Since there have been many abortions on record, we can improve screening if we provide it to those who have abortions,” she said.
The CDC amended procedures and expanded screening following discussions with the Taiwan Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lee said.
Taiwan has promoted a comprehensive HIV screening program for pregnant women since 1994.
Last year, it provided screenings to 141,710 people, with a screening rate of more than 99 percent, effectively controlling the occurrence of vertical HIV transmission from mother to child, Lee said.
Screenings are provided by medical staff after obtaining consent from patients, she said, adding that staff also provide health education and consultation services.
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although