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.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
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