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Published on November 23, 2007

Globally, people living with HIV/Aids had been revised downwards from 39.5 million last year to 33.2 million this year as a result of improved assessment of figures by the Joint United Nations Programme on Aids.

DCD deputy director-general Somchai Pinyopornpanich said yesterday 13,936 people locally had acquired HIV this year, with 34 per cent of them being young women and housewives, who have the highest risk of getting the infection from their partner through unprotected sex.

The second largest group at 24 per cent men who had sex with men, with 84 per cent of them contracting HIV from unprotected sex.

"Unprotected sex with their partners is still the main reason for HIV/Aids infections," Dr Somchai said.

Dr Somyot Kittimunkong, chief of Aids Cluster, said most people were worried about the relationship with their partner so they do not use condoms when having intercourse.

He said health agencies needed to do more to tackle new HIV/Aids infections by raising awareness and disseminating information on using condoms to high-risk groups.

The Public Health Ministry believed this could cut new infections in half or more by 2010.

Nimit Tienudom, head of Aids Access, said an impor¬tant mechanism to deal with HIV was not only condoms. Blood tests were also key to fighting the disease. "If peo¬ple know that they're infect¬ed with HIV at an early stage, they will get proper treat¬ment and this could save their lives," he said

Pongphon Sarnsamak

 The Nation.