The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has launched an anonymous consultation program for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at 13 hospitals nationwide, offering free syphilis testing for people under the age of 24, following a 6 percent rise in syphilis cases in the first half of the year.
The program, which began on Tuesday last week, provides free syphilis screening and STI consultations, CDC Division of Chronic Diseases deputy head Chan Pei-chun (詹珮君) old a routine news conference yesterday.
Citing the latest CDC data, she said Taiwan recorded 4,912 new syphilis cases from January to last month, including 956 cases among people aged 13 to 24.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
That figure represents a 6 percent increase in overall infections and a 13 percent rise among the demographic compared with the same period last year, she said.
It also means that the number of syphilis cases among young Taiwanese has increased for the fourth consecutive year, she added.
In contrast, the number of new AIDS and gonorrhea cases declined to 438 and 3,048 respectively — down 14 percent and 19 percent year-on-year, Chan said.
Young people worried about syphilis or HIV should not hesitate to get checked at a hospital, which takes only one drop of blood and delivers results in about 30 minutes, she said.
Those who test positive are eligible for partial coverage under the National Health Insurance system, she added.
The program’s consultation services are protected under medical privacy rules, she said, adding that they could be provided via phone, e-mail or the Line messenger app.
Participating hospitals include Taipei City Hospital’s Kumin Prevention and Control Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hsinchu Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taichung Veterans General Hospital and Chung Shan Medical University Hospital.
Other partners are National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Chimei Medical Center, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Gangshan Hospital, Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Sheng Hospital, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Taoyuan General Hospital.
CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said that syphilis testing typically costs between NT$800 and NT$3,000 out of pocket, and if the program proves effective, it might be expanded to more locations.
Separately, Taiwan recorded 245 new cases of scarlet fever last week, the highest weekly total so far this year, Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said.
The number of scarlet fever cases began rising in November last year before stabilizing in mid-May, he said, adding that most infections involved children between the ages of three and 12.
He urged parents to ensure that children with scarlet fever complete a full 10-day course of antibiotics, as this is essential to reduce the risk of developing rheumatic heart disease.
The M1 UK variant of Group A Streptococcus — the bacterium responsible for scarlet fever — accounts for 3 percent of all new cases in Taiwan, indicating a relatively low danger of it spreading, he said.
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Wednesday said decommissioned coast guard vessels were given to the Philippines to enhance regional rescue capacity and would not affect Taiwanese fishers’ rights and benefits. Kuan made the remarks after confirmation on Tuesday that a 500-tonne Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol and rescue vessel would be given to the Philippine Coast Guard. The donation ceremony was reportedly done in Manila, but whether the vessel — previously numbered “CG123” and named Kinmen (金門) — has been handed over has yet to be confirmed. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday criticized the donation for “taking
UPDATE: The submarine would need to undergo combined systems testing and crew training for navy personnel before it is ready for mission, an expert said Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, the Hai Kun (Narwhal, 海鯤), could be delivered to the navy as early as next month, military expert and Taiwan Association for Security and Development chairman Chi Tung-yun (紀東昀) said yesterday. The submarine was yesterday morning observed departing for its 21st sea trial and its 15th submerged test. The vessel missed the initial delivery deadline of November last year due to “testing delays,” its primary contractor, shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan, said in June. The contractor also cited “political pressure from China” in procuring critical equipment. All testing operations are in the final stages, with the
Six NT$10 million (US$315,527) special prizes and seven NT$2 million grand prizes in Taiwan's May-June uniform invoice lottery remained unclaimed as of today, including one NT$10 million winner who spent only NT$10 on an Uber Eats delivery order, the Ministry of Finance said. The ministry said the 13 winners need to claim their prizes by Nov. 5. The eight-digit serial number that won the NT$10 million special prize for May-June was 38548029, with 18 winning receipts in total. The NT$2 million grand prize number was 10138845, of which there were 22 winning receipts, the ministry said. In addition to the receipt issued for an
The Ministry of Finance today announced the winning numbers for the July-August uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$314,663) special prize is 89996565, while the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 91098182. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 54348835, 44991397 and 06595111. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits qualify for the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers are eligible for the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
RSS