The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) hosted a World AIDS Day event today, inviting drag queens to perform and noting that this year looks to have the lowest number of new HIV diagnoses in 22 years.
World AIDS Day falls on Dec. 1 every year, and this year’s theme is “overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response.”
Photo: CNA
The CDC hosted its annual World AIDS Day press conference today, inviting drag queens Chiang Wei, Hannah Monia and Bagel Rim to perform.
Hannah Monia and Bagel Rim are both members of the drag House of Wind, founded by RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 winner Nymphia Wind, CDC Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) noted.
The queens have traveled to the Paris Olympics and Broadway, New York, stepping out of their comfort zone to shine and represent Taiwan, Lo said.
“Taiwanese society can no longer respond to diverse issues with merely openness and acceptance, but must recognize more possibilities,” Lo said.
HIV self-testing increased from 64,000 tests between January and October last year to 74,000 during the same period this year, according to CDC statistics.
As of November, there have been about 800 new HIV cases, so the total number this year is expected to remain below 900, marking a 22-year low, Lo said.
Taiwan’s policies on HIV testing, follow-up and treatment are on the right track, which has led to a decline in new diagnoses, he said.
The publicly funded pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program’s enrollment would increase from 8,000 people this year to 9,500 people next year, and its budget would reach NT$340 million (US$10.81 million), an increase of NT$40 million from last year, he said.
The goal is to decrease new HIV cases to below 800 next year, he added.
Taiwan’s effective treatment methods and public health policies have led to a steady decline in new HIV cases, Taiwan AIDS Society chair Lu Pai-liang (盧柏樑) said.
On the subway today, Lu saw public service announcements promoting “U=U,” or “undetectable equals untransmittable,” meaning those with an undetectable HIV viral load cannot transmit the virus, he said.
Raising awareness about HIV and eliminating misconceptions would make society more friendly, allowing HIV prevention and treatment efforts to be more effective, he added.
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