The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that the numbers of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the nation have been reducing for six years, but people should still practice safe sex for HIV/AIDS prevention or get tested at least once a year.
A total of 944 people were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS last year, which is 11.7 percent lower than 1,069 diagnoses in the previous year, and it is the lowest annual number since 2004, the CDC said.
The CDC on the Valentine’s Day yesterday reminded people to practice safer sex — use condoms correctly every time — to prevent HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Photo courtesy of Public Health Bureau
The centers said its HIV/AIDS screening questionnaire showed that many of the newly reported HIV-positive cases had never gotten tested for HIV before, and the main reason was that they believed that they were not at risk of infection.
The CDC said it encourages people who are sexually active to get an HIV test at least once, and those who have sex without a condom to get tested at least once a year.
People with HIV-risk behaviors — such as having STDs, multiple sexual partners or engaging in sexual activity under the influence of drugs — are recommended to get tested once every three to six months, it said.
While taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective in reducing the risk of getting HIV and the number of hospitals with government-funded PrEP has increased to 103, PrEP does not prevent other STDs, the centers said, adding that practicing safer sex and getting regular tests are necessary.
Moreover, the CDC said it continues to expand the diversified HIV/AIDS screening, examination and consultation service channels, while promoting anonymous HIV testing to maintain privacy.
The number of designated HIV clinics have increased to 85, it said.
Aside from tests available at healthcare facilities, the CDC also has an HIV self-test program, allowing people to apply for a test kit from the centers’ Web site (https://gov.tw/D8C) and receive it at convenience stores, or purchase it from designated non-governmental organizations, local health bureaus, public health centers or one of the 79 designated vending machines, it said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS