Macao logs 22.7 pct drop of HIV cases last year
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-08 13:26
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MACAO: The number of new HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection cases reported last year was 17, 22.7 percent less than the number of cases in 2008, the local Macao Post Daily reported on Monday.
The newspaper quoted the statistics released by the Health Bureau of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) as saying that some 58.8 percent of last year's HIV patients were non-local residents. The information did not elaborate on the patients' nationalities, and many of the non-local patients are understood to be sex workers.
According to the figures, 41.2 percent and 17.7 percent of last year's new cases were caused by heterosexual intercourse and homosexual intercourse respectively, while 17.7 percent were infected by drug injection.
A total of 427 cases of HIV infection and 44 cases of AIDS were reported between 1986 and 2009 in Macao. Some 50.4 percent of the cases reported involved people with non-Chinese nationals working in the entertainment sector, and 67.5 percent were infected through heterosexual intercourse.
