With the arrival of students’ summer vacations, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in partnership with the Taiwan AIDS Foundation, held an awareness-raising event at Taipei Main Station yesterday to encourage young people to adopt safe sexual practices to protect themselves from HIV.
Taking up the cause of “National HIV Testing Day,” established in the US as an annual observance to promote HIV testing, the CDC said it hopes to raise awareness among the public not only of the virus, but also of the significance of HIV testing.
CDC Director-General Chang Feng-yee (張峰義) advised young people to stay in a stable relationships with a single, regular partner and to have safe sex.
“And if that really isn’t possible, take a HIV test within three months of having unprotected sex,” Chang added.
According to statistics compiled by the centers, as of the end of last year 24,239 Taiwanese were living with HIV, with nearly 20 percent of them aged between 15 and 24.
In the past three years the number of new HIV infections among young people has been increasing at a rapid pace, with young people reporting the highest rate of new HIV infections among all age groups, accounting for 26.2 percent, 27.5 percent and 28.6 percent of reported new infections for 2010, 2011and last year respectively, the CDC said.
The data provided by the CDC also shows that of the 635 new infections reported last year by people aged between 15 and 24, 552 had engaged in male homosexual experiences, increasing from 479 in 2011 and 418 in 2010.
Ninety percent of new infections were caused by unprotected sex, both homosexual and heterosexual, the agency said, which also attributed some of the infections to drug abuse, as a person under the influence of certain drugs, such as stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens, is more likely to engage in risky behavior, including sexual contacts.
“About NT$3 billion [US$100.3 million] is spent every year on HIV and AIDS, with between 10 percent and 20 percent spent on prevention, awareness-raising campaigns and testing, while the rest is allocated to treatment,” Chang said.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS