On the Eve of World AIDS Day, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that as of Oct. 31, 1,991 cases of AIDS were reported this year — an average of six cases per day, and doctors urged people who are sexually active to get tested regularly for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The centers said that including new cases, the total number of AIDS cases in Taiwan has reached 33,018 people, and according to statistics from last year, about 70 percent of the reported cases were people aged between 15 and 35.
The majority of the cases were concentrated in the 25 to 34-year-old age group, accounting for 42 percent of cases, followed by 15 to 24-year-olds, accounting for 28 percent, the centers said, adding that the main cause of AIDS is unprotected sex or having sex without using a condom, which accounts for 89 percent of all cases.
CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said HIV, the cause of AIDS, is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk and other bodily fluids, and is mainly spread by having vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HIV without using a condom, so everyone who is sexually active is at risk of HIV infection and should practice safe sex.
The centers said the biggest challenge to AIDS prevention is social stigma and discrimination against people with AIDS, because many people are unwilling to be tested or get treatment.
To encourage people in high-risk groups to be tested and get treatment, the centers provides at-home HIV saliva tests and anonymous screening and consulting services, in addition to a new HIV preventive, a pre-exposure prophylaxis, a pill for people in high-risk groups who do not have HIV to take daily to reduce their risk of infection.
Separately, the Taiwan AIDS Society and the Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association yesterday invited popular Taiwanese band members to urge people who are sexually active — regardless of their gender and sexual orientation — to get tested for HIV regularly and to eliminate the stigma around people with AIDS.
Yang Chia-jui (楊家瑞), an attending physician at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases, said a common misconception is that only homosexuals are at risk of contacting HIV, but anyone who is sexually active with more than one partner and not practicing safe sex is at risk.
“Many heterosexuals in a stable sexual relationship do not think they can be infected with HIV, but if their sexual partner has unprotected sex with another person they can still be at risk,” Yang said.
He said that people who have unprotected sex should have an HIV test at least once a year and people who have multiple sexual partners, or share needles to use recreational drugs get tested every three to six months.
People can make an anonymous appointment for a HIV test, which usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and the medical facility will not inform the person’s family members about any test results, Yang said, adding that AIDS can be controlled by medication, similar to other chronic diseases, so people should get tested and receive treatment as early as possible.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
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