More than half of new HIV cases in Hong Kong from same-sex contact between men
Highest proportion of reported cases in 25 years, says health department
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 27 May, 2014, 1:58pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 27 May, 2014, 3:47pm
Lo Wei [email protected]
Dr Wong Ka-hing called for safe sex practices using condoms. Photo: SCMP pictures
More than half of the new HIV cases reported in Hong Kong in the first three months of this year were transmitted through same-sex contact between men, the highest proportion in almost 25 years.
The Department of Health recorded 154 new HIV infections in the first quarter of this year, of which 84, or 55 per cent, were contracted through homosexual contact between men.
“Men who have sex with men made up over half of the cases. They are an obvious majority,” said Dr Wong Ka-hing, special preventive programme consultant of the department’s Centre for Health Protection.
As for the other new cases during the same three month period, 22 contracted the virus through heterosexual contact, one through drug injection, and the cause of the remaining 47 are yet to be determined due to a lack of information.
In 1989, reported male homosexual HIV cases peaked at 55 per cent. However, there were only 38 HIV cases that year, compared to 559 cases last year.
The first HIV case was diagnosed in Hong Kong in 1984.
Wong called for safe sex practices using condoms and for high-risk groups to get regular testing.
